Fayetteville-Manlius School District is seriously considering buying electric buses and had a public meeting at a transportation garage about the idea on Wednesday, October 18. The meeting allowed the school district to explain what the changes in regulations would be for their initiative and found mostly supportive voices from the audience.
As part of new state legislation, all school districts must at least purchase an electric bus by 2027 and a school district’s bus fleet must be either fully electric or have net 0 carbon emissions by 2035. Also, after 2027, buses that use fossil fuels will not be sold.
Currently, Fayetteville-Manlius has 65 diesel buses, and 35-40 trips are made regularly by these buses, bringing students to and from school. There is also an expectation that F-M will need to get a larger fleet to prepare for the influx of people working at Micron as well as the number of students that will be in all day kindergarten.
To implement electric buses, there would be a new need to make sure that charging stations can be built up and efficiently charge buses. At the meeting, officials said that 32 of the 50 main routes school buses take can be electrified, but there were also questions raised over the consistency of that charging. Some issues could come up in the winter when charging becomes less efficient and buses need more electricity to fully power up.
F-M will be working with other school districts in the area to share information and resources to ensure that in the next few years, decisions are made to as effectively as possible make this transition. These school districts may also come together later to ask the state to push back the mandate requiring their changes in bus fleets.
The New Green Acquisitions of Upstate NY
Submitted by Stella Simeonova , CCAA Intern
In Upstate New York, there is a growing call to incorporate carbon-neutral building practices in response to the looming challenges of climate change.
Downtown Syracuse has recently witnessed a remarkable transformation, with the old Whitlock building on Salina Street evolving from a closed furniture store into a remarkable mixed residential and commercial space, heralding a promising environmental future for construction in Upstate New York. The developer of the project, Tom Goodfellow, achieved a milestone as the first individual in Upstate NY to create a carbon-neutral building. His achievement was made possible through the exclusion of fossil fuels, employing an all-electric system that utilizes heat pumps to provide fresh air through heat recovery ventilators in the apartments. Furthermore, the use of panelized walls and triple-pane windows not only insulates against city noise but also establishes an exceptionally high level of energy conservation.
The story doesn’t end here; Goodfellow is now embarking on an exciting new housing and development project. The developer of Syracuse’s most energy-efficient building is currently working on a 250-unit apartment development constructed primarily from wood. This new eco-friendly project is expected to surpass the achievements of the Whitlock building, featuring charging stations and solar panels to enhance sustainability. Goodfellow’s new venture led him to Ithaca, NY, where he explored another intriguing project during a tour organized by NESEA and hosted by Taitem Engineering.
The Ironworks building, located in Ithaca’s West End, is a 113,300 sq. ft. urban development characterized by its fossil-free construction, comprising 129 apartment units. This development represents a significant step towards Ithaca’s goal of becoming the first decarbonized city in the United States by 2030.
Ironwork’s integrated design focuses on energy efficiency. Each apartment within the building boasts its own all-electric CO2-based heat pump, responsible for maintaining air quality, heating, and cooling, alongside triple-pane windows and high-density insulation for noise reduction and energy conservation. Notably, the presence of 24 strategically placed electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the building’s parking area underscores the project’s commitment to encouraging residents to embrace electric vehicles and promote eco-friendly transportation options.
While the construction costs for Ironworks are 3.3% higher than those for a traditional gas-infused building, it has only recorded a marginal 0.6% increase in utility needs. These costs are outweighed by significant on-site energy savings, resulting in 60.3% site energy savings and 39.4% source energy savings compared to a code-compliant baseline building.
During the unveiling and presentation of Ironworks, CCAA Vice President Peter Wirth, raised a crucial question about the need to stimulate residents in the city to transition from fossil fuels to all-electric systems. The response from the engineers stressed the importance of elevating education and policy efforts to make this transition successful. Undoubtedly, this marks only the beginning of a new era shedding green light on New York State.
Photos from Stella Simeonova
My New Car
Submitted by Peter Wirth, CCAA Vice President
Image from googleimages.com
The Good Old Days
Until this past year, I never paid more than $3800 for a car. I never had air conditioning, electric locks, windows or most of the “modern conveniences” that people are used to. My last car, a ’92 Honda came with a tape deck which I updated to a CD player/radio. Honestly, I never missed any of the modern stuff. A car was transportation –period. The only thing I never skimped on was tires. Good safe tires were always a must.
The Modern Days
While my ’92 Honda got 40mpg (better gas mileage than 90% of the cars on the road) it burned fossil fuels. It was time for a serious upgrade to all electric.
It took me six months to take the plunge. I purchased a 2023, all electric Chevy Bolt. List price $26,800. NYS took $2,000 off the top and I will get a federal tax rebate of $7,500 when I file my taxes. Net price was $17,300. The car has a rated range of 260 miles per charge. Driving in the city I’ve gotten as much as 350 mpg. It varies depending on a lot of factors such as your driving style and season. Chevy also threw in a $500 charge card for charging.
It costs about $12 to “fill the tank.” With a Level 2 charger in my garage., the car easily charges overnight. There is no exhaust system to rust out, oil or spark plugs or wires to change. Electric cars have many less parts and are way less costly to maintain. Like everything, they do have an environmental cost and aren’t perfect. Everything has a trade off.
I bought the car because I can afford it and it was the right thing to do. Yes, I miss my 5 speed but it was time. I am now part of the solution.
I now have a vested interest in promoting electric cars and charging infrastructure. I get involved with Town Board meetings when the subject of charging infrastructure comes up. I follow articles on the transition to all electric transportation. The technology is changing quickly from battery design to charging infrastructure. I highly recommend the web site Green Car Reports,www.greencarreports.com. You will find it inspirational.
If you want to learn more about my car or garage charger contact me atpwirth2@verizon.net
Meet Our New Interns
Submitted by Roseann Lorefice, CCAA Newsletter Editor
Photos from left to right: Andrea Hayman, Stella Simeonova, and Katie Dailey
Andrea Hayman: Andrea is a graduate student in applied data science in the iSchool
at Syracuse University, and she recently graduated from Hamilton College with a double major in math and computer science. Andrea’s passion for the climate crisis started at Hamilton, where she joined other students in pushing for fossil fuel divestment and earlier carbon neutrality. She is very excited to continue fighting the climate crisis in CNY!
Stella Simeonova: Stella is a sophomore at Le Moyne College, majoring in Environmental Science and she is excited to embark on this journey as a new intern. She is eager to contribute to CCAA’s mission in several ways, whether conducting research, interviewing experts, or writing articles that shed light on critical environmental topics.
Katie Dailey: Katie is a sophomore at Syracuse University, majoring in Political Science and minoring in History. She is currently on the pre-law track and hopes to attend law school in the future. She has a passion for writing and communications and writes for several fashion and culture magazines at Syracuse University. She enjoys taking her passions for writing and communications and applying them to current policy issues.
The “Green” Town of Manlius
Submitted by Peter Wirth, CCAA Vice President
Image from townofmanlius.org
Climate Change Awareness and Action would like to thank the Democrats on the Town of Manlius board who gave support to the following actions:
More than 30MW of solar energy added to the Town of Manlius since 2020.
The Town of Manlius was the first certified bronze Climate Smart Community in the county thanks to the leadership from the Chair of Sustainable Manlius, Councilor Katelyn Kriesel.
Town’s first Climate Action Plan was adopted this past July.
Electric charging stations are located behind Town Hall.
Gas powered vehicles are being replaced by electric vehicles which require less maintenance and are less expensive to run.
Town has been awarded numerous grants totaling almost $50,000 due to the Town’s climate action work.
The Town hosts EarthFest, the largest Earth Day in the county organized by Sustainable Manlius.
Town Discussion: Sustainability
Submitted by John Deer, Town of Manlius Supervisor
Image from googleimages.com
The Town of Manlius will be holding a Town Board Work Session to have a discussion with Developers and Sustainability Advocates regarding implementation of goals identified in the Comprehensive Plan and other business matters as needed. The hybrid meeting will be held on Wednesday November 15, 2023, from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Manlius Town Hall, 301 Brooklea Drive, Fayetteville. The town board is looking to educate themselves and the public on ways that developers can incorporate the sustainability goals outlined in the Comprehensive Plan.
Tom Goodfellow, developer for the Whitlock building on Salina Street will share his story of renovating a traditional early 1900’s building utilizing natural gas into an all electric, non fossil fuel, high efficiency building consisting of 26 apartments and 14,000 sq. ft. of commercial space. The same technology can be applied to new and renovated residential buildings.
Lindsay Speer from the CNY Regional Planning Board will explain incentive & rebate programs available for commercial and residential construction for developers and homeowners. The presentation will be recorded and made available to all residents and developers following this meeting. All are welcome to come and learn with the board and participate in the Q&A portion at the end of the meeting.
The UAW Strike and the Environment
Submitted byTaylor Smith-Hams
Approved by the CCAA Board
Image from googleimages.com
Editor’s Note: As of press time, the Union and the Big 3 had reached agreements that needed to be ratified by the general membership.
CCAA stands in solidarity with the United Auto Workers (UAW) in their contract negotiations with the “Big 3” automakers: General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis. The shift away from fossil fuels necessarily includes the shift away from combustion engines. Workers and communities must be centered in this transition, not corporate greed and shareholder profits. The EV transition cannot be a “race to the bottom” that further exploits workers. We support the UAW’s demands:
End Tiers – Equal Pay for Equal Work: Ending the unjust tier system for workers
Don’t Leave Workers Behind – Just wage and benefit increases that keep in line with the cost of living and provide a good life for workers and their communities
Batteries Included – Workers in sustainable battery production have the same pay and safety standards as under the National Agreements
EV Jobs that are Good, Safe, and Union – A robust, fair and just transition into the EV economy with no loss of autoworker livelihood.
Take action today to stand in solidarity with the UAW! Call 1-318-300-1249 to leave a message for the CEOs of Ford, GM, and Stellantis and tell them UAW members deserve the same 40% raise they got over the last four years.
DATE: November 14, 2023
PLACE: Zoom meeting
TOPIC: Local Election Results and Climate Change Efforts in Central NY
DATE: November 15, 2023
PLACE: Manlius Town Hall
TIME: 5 p.m. – 6 p.m.
TOPIC: Work session by the Town Board to discuss the implementation of sustainability with developers.
(Check the Town of Manlius WEBSITE and follow the link to join the meeting.)
Americans Support Climate Justice. They Just Don’t Know What It Is. The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and George Mason University recently released a public opinion data report titledClimate Change in the American Mind: Climate Justice, Spring 2023.One of the most striking findings was that, although 65% of Americans had never heard or read anything about “climate justice,” huge majorities of registered voters support thegoalsof climate justice. 81% of registered voters support creating more parks and green spaces in low-income communities and communities of color, while 77% support strengthening enforcement of industrial pollution limits in those communities. In short, Americans strongly support climate justice even if they don’t know what it is. READ ABOUT IT HERE.
Dispatch From The Climate Crisis Front Lines: Join The Fight. There should be little doubt that we are in the early stages of a climate emergency. The smoke-filled days we experienced this summer in Central New York brought the crisis home to us, while people in the Southwest experienced deadly heat, Maui and many parts of Canada have been devastated by deadly wildfires, droughts parch many communities, and over 11,000 people died recently in Derna, Libya, after torrential rains (fueled by climate change) overwhelmed dams. Without dramatic global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, these horrors will increase quickly in both frequency and severity. READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE.
The Eight Deadly Sins of Analyzing the Energy Transition. The renewable revolution is plainly gaining speed and impact. So why are so many analysts so wrong about the pace and scale of innovation? What lies at the heart of the energy transition is a shift from an expensive, inefficient, volatile, scarce, commodity-based fossil system to cheaper, cleaner, leaner technologies that offer continuously falling costs and are available everywhere. READ MORE.
How Heat Pumps Became A Nordic Success Story. A common criticism of heat pumps is that they do not work in cold weather. However, the Nordic region – particularly Sweden, Finland and Norway – offers a rebuttal to this assessment, as research at the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) shows. READ MORE HERE.
ATTEND THE NEXT CCAA MEMBER MEETING
As a member of Climate Change Awareness and Action, you are cordially invited to participate in our online member meeting on Tuesday, November 14th . The meeting begins at 6 p.m. For the ZOOM link, click HERE.(NOTE:Member meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month. Members will be notified of topics in this newsletter or by a special email announcement.)
The topic for the November member meeting is Local Election Results and Climate Change Effortsin Central New York. Members are encouraged to look at candidates in their villages, townships, and county legislature and their views on climate change.
Feel like saving the world?Why not donate a few dollars to CCAA? Maybe it won’t be quite enough to save the whole planet, but it will help keep us going, and that’s the next best thing! We appreciate your support.
CCAA Internships and Other Volunteering Opportunities If you are interested in volunteering with CCAA in any capacity, please contact us at newsletter@climatechange-action.com or call 315-308-0846. Don’t worry about your skill level. We are all learning. We need people who can:
Within NY Renews, the Youth Committee is a space mostly for high school and college age individuals. We’re moving towards bi-weekly trainings followed by community organizing to support our campaigns. Joining the youth committee is a great opportunity to level up your organizing, learn about campaigning, and get involved in the climate justice movement.
We meet every other week with additional time on projects for those interested. If you are interested, please fill out the sign-up form so we can get more info about your interests and experiences (it’s not competitive). We would love to hear from you!
We encourage you to follow our social media accounts to support CCAA and stay up to date on other environmental news.
Newsletter Committee Staff Writers: Marie Stewart, Anthony Bailey, Olivia Eden Fried, and Stella Simeonova Publishing and Design: Yvonne Chu, Annalena Davis Editor: Roseann Lorefice
CCAA Interns: Marie Stewart, Anthony Bailey, Olivia Eden Fried, Katie Daley, Andrea Hayman, and Stella Simeonova
