CCAA Newsletter (Volume 7, Issue 7) – SUN Day, Micron and a New Look!

Volume 7, Issue 7
September 2025

Letters to the editor and feedback always welcome: n ews.ccaa@gmail.com.

Musings from the President

Submitted by George Lorefice (loreficegj@gmail.com)

We’re back! The newsletter has been absent, but CCAA has been very active, primarily regarding the review of Micron’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Collectively and individually, we have submitted comments, attended forums and participated in the Public Hearing. You have all received CCAA’s official response through Action Network but read the summary in this issue for more information. You can be sure CCAA will keep on top of this project as part of SustainCNY since it will definitely have a tremendous impact on the CNY environment. On two other fronts, the Board recently spent a productive evening reviewing what we have done over the past year and where we are headed. We are progressing along with our pursuit of 501(c)(3) with our recent designation as a Charitable Organization in NYS.

Photo provided by Roseann Lorefice.

FYI While in the Yukon several years ago I picked up a term “refugia.” This is a term used to describe areas that were free of ice during the various glaciations, areas such as the tops of mountains and hills. When the glaciers retreated, the flora and fauna that took refuge in these zones populated the now glacier free areas. With the current situation in this country and the incompetent disregard for the climate changing effect of greenhouse gas emissions, there are still pockets of efforts or refugia to combat that threat in places such as New York, California, Washington state. Then there is China and Pakistan and most of the rest of the world who are not slowing down their efforts. We may not be the leaders of the effort to reduce this climate threat, but at least we can take solace that others are promoting the use of solar, wind and other carbon-free sources of energy. When this federal nightmare ends, our refugia will be able to flourish.

CCAA is probably preaching to the choir in much of what we do. So, I am asking the choir to reach out and talk to family, friends and neighbors about climate change, but in doing so, don’t use the gloom and doom scenario. According to trusted sources, that apparently hasn’t worked and doesn’t appear to be a good strategy. So listen to people’s concerns and approach it on an economic front, e.g. solar and wind energy is now cheaper to produce than gas or coal; heat pumps will save you money; large solar and wind projects can be built easily and quickly to ease the demand for electricity and are cheaper and more efficient, and therefore will save money and create jobs. As Jan Kublick points out in his Legislative Update, this has really come down to the need for a political solution.

Many people look at the jobs Micron is projected to bring as a way out of poverty, or a better way of life. They are more concerned with food on the table and paying the rent than some science that says we have an overheated planet. Where we think climate, they think weather; where we think long term as the climate changes they may be worried about where their next meal is coming from. Consider others’ circumstances before you say what you have to say.

The American light is being dimmed by wildfires and incompetence right now. We have to hope that the smoke goes away, and competence is reestablished, and then we will once again be the leader of what is moral and good.

From the Editor…

Submitted by Roseann Lorefice (loreficer@gmail.com)

Check out the new look for our newsletter and let us know what you think? At a glance or scrolling, it should be easier to find what you’re looking for. And we’d like to make another change by giving the newsletter A NAME, so we invite you, the members, to help us pick one. If you have an idea, please email it to new.ccaa@gmail.com and it may be yours that we choose!

It’s a challenge for us every month to find the best news to share with you. We could use a little help along the way SO if you have some editorial skills and would like to help, let me know with an email. I’d love an assistant and am willing to share and train. As I said, just email!!

Heard of Earth Day? Get ready for SUN Day!

On September 21, a Sunday of course, thousands of people will gather across the U.S. to spread the message that the clean energy revolution is here. By harnessing the sun – whose thermal energy also gives rise to wind – instead of burning fossil fuels, we can all enjoy cleaner air, lower utility bills and a host of other benefits.

Image provided by www.sunday.earth.

Bill McKibben (founder of 350.org and climate activist) and nonprofit communication lab Fossil Free Media are spearheading this day of action to celebrate the progress humanity has made in advancing and adopting renewable energy – and to push for a faster transition away from fossil fuels.

SO, JOIN IN THE LOCAL FUN! On September 21!!

PLACE: Cedar Bay Park, Cedar Bay Road Fayetteville (between Kinne Rd. and Burdick St.)

TIME: 2 – 5 p.m.

Enjoy music by Colleen Kattau, the UNITY Band, and others.

Hear talks by solar experts and town officials. Walk to the Dewitt Solar Array. Bike along the Erie Canal. Learn about solar panels and rooftop solar. HAVE FUN!!! LEARN!!

Come early, picnic, walk your dog, enjoy!

SPONSORED BY: Climate Change Awareness and Action (CCAA) and the Dewitt Advisory Conservation Commission (DACC)

NOTE: To participate in a national SUN Day, you can draw your own sun HERE! TRY IT!

Legislative Update

Submitted by Jan Kublick (jan.kublick@gmail.com)

CCAA often emphasizes the dangerous impacts of accelerating global warming. While those warnings are still true and important, it has become clear that renewable energy from the sun, the wind, and natural heat from the earth could spare humanity from the worst of those impacts and will foster the development of a huge new economy.

While that is wonderful news, here in the United States the Trump Administration and its supporters in Congress are giving away that economy of the future to the rest of the world, condemning the U.S. to becoming a nationwide museum of the obsolete economic past. Renewable energy production, especially solar generation and battery storage, is the cheapest means to make and use electricity in the world. The rest of the world is pivoting to it, innovating and investing in it. Energy, boundless amounts of it, is the linchpin of future economic growth. No economy thrives by clinging to old technology. It is certainly not how the U.S. grew to what it is.

The huge market that is the Global South is electrifying rapidly, embracing vastly cheaper cleaner energy without the need to buy fuel. China, Asia and Europe are aligning themselves to benefit the most. Our children would be well advised to learn Chinese to compete for the jobs of the future, in the same way that learning English used to be a fundamental necessity for anyone who wanted to thrive in the global marketplace.

We must ask “why”. Why is the Administration trying to prop up fossil fuel when it will make us all poorer and sicker, and leave the huge profits and potential of the future economy to others? American manufacturing, including new energy intensive technologies like data centers and chip fabrication will not be able to compete with those of the rest of the world if they must buy more expensive energy here. For that matter, why will we be compelled to heat and cool our homes and drive our families with expensive and dirty energy?

The United States has never turned its back on the future. It must not do so now.

CCAA Response to DEIS for MICRON

Photo provided by Ethan Gormley

Editor’s Note: For the Micron Project to proceed, it was required that Micron and OCIDA (Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency) submit a DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) to document how the project would impact the region. The draft was over 20,000 pages. Several local groups –SustainCNY, GreeningUSA, the Sierra Club, CCAA, the Onondaga Nation to name a few – and individuals submitted reactions to the DEIS. Here is a summary of CCAA’s response, compiled by Jan Kublick, our Legislative Chairperson. By law, it is required that the project officials respond to these comments.

In early August CCAA submitted comments on the Micron Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), as did many individuals and other organizations. CCAA collaborated with a large group of not-for-profits and the Onondaga Nation, all concerned with the impacts of this massive project, from energy, water, chemical, air pollution and wetlands protection, to jobs, education and training and environmental justice. CCAA’s focus was on renewable energy and climate impacts.

Micron is proposing to build four huge chip fabrication plants (Fabs) on a 1300-acre campus in Clay. They will be built and put into production over a 16-year period. The DEIS is required by the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), with the goal of identifying the adverse environmental impacts of the proposed project and to minimize or avoid those impacts to the maximum extent practicable, taking into consideration social and economic effects as well. It will take several months for the agencies involved to respond to all the comments and then propose findings and fashion conditions for the Project’s approval. Only then can the Project be approved. It will be approved; the “unknown” is “subject to what conditions”. This is the first time a chip fab project has been subjected to a public environmental impact review process anywhere in the United States. New York, a leader in protection of the environment and in ambitious climate and renewable energy goals, is leading the way. This Project is going to be built somewhere in the United States, and it is likely going to be cleaner and less impactful if it is built to New York standards.

The Project, when fully operational, will consume enormous amounts of energy, both electricity and fossil fuel. Micron’s position is that the nature of chip fabrication requires heat from natural gas. It will, therefore, produce huge quantities of greenhouse gases, mostly CO2. It will also use most of the renewable electricity produced in our region of the State, vastly reducing the amount available for the rest of the State. This Project alone will make achievement of CLCPA goals much harder.

Throughout the DEIS, Micron committed to exploring ways to lessen its climate and energy impacts, both in the first and second phases of the project. Strikingly, the Project lacks a commitment to generate renewable energy, or to buy renewable electricity from co-located or new solar, wind or geothermal sources or to provide for future use of battery storage technology. This is a huge deficiency in the proposal. Rather than divert an enormous fraction of the State’s existing renewable electricity from the grid, it could make its own or purchase renewable energy from new projects.

CCAA’s comments for the SEQRA process focused on the impact of the Project on the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to achieve its renewable energy goals for electrical generation. CCAA’s comments included the importance of making those Micron promises conditions of approval, including exploring technology that allows electricity to replace the fossil fuel for process heat.

Central New York will derive many benefits from Micron. The counties, towns and villages in Central New York need to be prepared and willing to do their part to lessen their climate and energy impacts, support new renewable energy generation locally, as well as condition approval of Micron’s project on Micron’s commitment to do the same. CCAA is committed to monitoring and advocating for those outcomes now and in the many years to come. It is the law and policy of the State to lower New York’s climate impacts and to foster the growth of the new economy built on cheap clean renewable energy, energy not generated by burning fossil fuels. (Links to the CCAA comments are provided HERE.)

CCAA Helps Support Solar Projects

Submitted by Peter Wirth, CCAA Vice President (pwirth2@verizon.net)

In the past several months when the Oxbow Hill Solar Farm was being discussed in Madison County, I attended the meetings to offer support. The NYS Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission recently gave its approval to the 140-megawatt solar project.

This project will supply clean energy to more than 23,00 NYS homes. It will create more than 330 full time equivalent jobs for the community and will provide new sources of revenue that the community can use to support local priorities; and it will invest in SUNY Morrisville’s Agricultural and Clean Energy Technology Center, supporting students pursuing careers in renewable energy and helping to train the next generation of workers. All in all, it is a win-win situation for the residents, clean energy and the community in general.

These renewable energy projects are essential if we are to avoid even more severe catastrophic climate change events in the future. And it is incumbent on all of us to show up and speak to support these projects.

Photo provided by Peter Wirth.

Environmental Goals for the Town of Manlius

Submitted by Sara Bollinger, Manlius Town Councilor (sbollinger@townofmanlius.org)

I believe most people care about the environment and do not want to harm the world we all live in. But we also love convenience and can be swayed by the multi-million-dollar advertising budgets of companies that profit from environmentally unsustainable products and services. Most of the time it is easier to go with the flow rather than to take the time to consider alternatives – let alone take action!

It is important to provide information to residents about things they can do at home and at work that can make a difference. This is why groups like CCAA are so important. In the Town of Manlius, we have several groups that help with community education such as Manlius Watershed Stewards, Sustainable Manlius, Trout Unlimited, Isaak Walton League, Renewable Fayetteville and the Sierra Club. I support the work of these volunteer organizations and hope to lift up their work in my next term on the Town Board.

My focus next year will be a review of the Town’s zoning code. This process will address issues such as the preservation of agricultural land, restrictions on impermeable surfaces, protection of wetlands and guidelines for siting renewable energy facilities.

At the State level, we must push hard for passage of the Bigger Better Bottle Bill sponsored by Senator Rachel May. A companion bill the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, did not pass this year, but we can advocate for it to become law next year.

Do you have additional ideas? I’d love to hear them – BollingerforManlius@gmail.com

Photo provided by Sara Bollinger

Book Review: Here Comes the Sun

Submitted by Van Cleary-Hammerstadt, CCAA Treasurer (vanjonch@gmail.com)

At a time when there is so much darkness, with the climate emergency careening the earth headlong to the point of no return, and our country on the fast track to fascism, Bill McKibben’s new book, ‘Here Comes the Sun,’ comes as a ray of light.

McKibben has raised the alarm about the climate crisis for decades with his books and political activism. He helped found 350.org and recently spawned Third Act, a group helping seniors take action to address climate change and other social ills.

What you thought you knew about solar, wind, and batteries is probably outdated, and what’s new is very hopeful. For example, renewables are no longer ‘alternative energy’ sources as they comprise over 90% of new power generation worldwide. They are now cheaper than fossil fuels. And sun, wind and batteries make debates about nuclear power moot. For the cost of one nuclear power plant, which takes 10-15 years to build, 10x as much solar power can be up and running in 2 years.

A main driver of these changes is China. Lacking oil and gas, and relying on dirty coal, Chinese leaders bankrolled hundreds of companies to build solar panels, EV cars, and the university infrastructure needed for this technology. China assisted the best companies that competed, the result being solar panels are now exceedingly inexpensive, high in quality and more efficient and less expensive all the time. Chinese solar panels make up the vast majority deployed around the world. And Chinese EVs, (not sold in the U.S. and some western European countries because of protectionism) are acknowledged to be of high quality, selling for around $15K U.S. dollars. China is becoming the world’s leader in electric power, which they foresaw as the energy of the future.

Major sections of the book are devoted to addressing questions and roadblocks to this transition. Teaser: there is enough lithium for projected battery use (and new sodium batteries, potentially cheaper, more abundant and efficient, are in the pipeline). Teaser: there’s plenty of land to put solar panel and wind farms on roughly 30 million acres of U.S. farmland that are devoted to corn for ethanol, and estimates are it would take roughly 30 million acres of solar panels to power all the US. energy needs

But McKibben is not saying that we can sit back and let the markets bring the inevitable transition to lower priced energy through solar, wind and batteries. He omits hydro because as a power source there is little room for new generation. He emphasizes that we don’t have time to let the market do its work. And he recounts how fossil fuel companies and their political allies are working to stop this transition from happening. Now is the time for people to drive the economic and political changes needed to usher in the transition.

He gives a variety of examples done at various levels by citizens, groups, and political leaders. He notes that older climate activists are bringing their knitting to public service commission meetings to ensure utilities are doing their part, and groups are easing zoning regulations to make rooftop or balcony solar panels as easy to install as a refrigerator.

In the final chapter, he reminds us that George Harrison’s song, Here Comes the Sun, is the most downloaded Beatles song on Spotify, and cultures around the world have long honored the central place of the sun for life on this planet.

We are in the position now to welcome the sun’s nourishing power for the next several billion years.

Image provided by www.brooklinebooksmith.com

Local Elections Matter

Submitted by Elaine Denton, CCAA member and former Manlius Town Board Councilor (denton@elainemichele.com)

Concerned about the environment? We need to focus our attention on our local government. Local governments make decisions that directly impact our communities. County governments decide how to fund important services and programs ranging from health services, infrastructure priorities, environmental priorities and more. This November you have the opportunity to vote on who will represent you on your city, town, or village board and on the county legislator.

The people who are elected this November will be guiding Central New York through big changes. With Micron coming, we need to make sure the promises being made today are kept and past mistakes are not repeated. As our community grows, we will need to focus on smart growth while protecting our green spaces and waterways for future generations. All while we address the issues impacting our community right now: lead poisoning, poverty, a housing crisis and preparing our infrastructure to handle increasingly extreme weather due to climate change.

If we want to fulfill New York State’s climate goals, we need to elect local representatives that want to meet these goals. But over 60% of registered voters are not voting in local elections. You can help increase turnout by finding a candidate you support who is running for local office and reaching out to see how you can help their campaign. Make sure you have a plan to vote. Vote by mail, vote early from October 25 – November 2 or vote on November 4th!

Vote in every election.

UPDATE: what’s happening…

DEIS released to the public
Organizational and individual responses submitted to Micron and OCIDA
Micron in the process of obtaining necessary permits to begin construction

TO BE CONTINUED

Good News

SOLAR ON YOUR BALCONY? Across Germany, more than a million people had installed solar panels on their balconies as of last month. Though each installation is small, the aggregate electricity generated from these plug-in solar panels is helping Germany reach its renewable energy targets. Is the U.S. next? Catch up with this development. CLICK HERE.

LED IS THE WAY TO GO!! The Village of Camillus recently completed an LED lighting upgrade at the DPW Building with assistance from the CNY RPDB and with NYSERDA and utility funding. The installation began in May and was fully complete by early June.

“The lighting difference is amazing! You can really “see” how far the technology has evolved,” says DPW Supervisor, Jason Fudala. “We had 15 old fluorescent fixtures removed and replaced with 9 LED fixtures and it is three times brighter! After the installation of your new LED lights, we rarely use the retractable reel light. The garage is so bright YOU GOT TO WEAR SHADES!!”

Not so good News

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to rescind the science-backed 2009 determination that greenhouse gas emissions harm human health and the environment. To hear Zeldin tell it,

“The real threat to Americans is not carbon dioxide emissions, but the standards set by the EPA.”If finalized, the EPA’s plan would end all greenhouse gas emission regulations for motor vehicles and engines, despite transportation being the nation’s largest source of climate pollution. Here’s the full ARTICLE.

Then, take action! Tell the EPA not to rescind the endangerment finding and walk back their obligation to curb dangerous emissions. Submit your COMMENT.

WHAT’S UP WITH AI DATA CENTERS? Electricity rates for individual and small businesses could rise sharply as technology companies build data centers and expand into energy centers. Read about it BY CLICKING HERE.

THERE’S A RACE TO POWER THE FUTURE…and China’s pulling ahead. Beijing is selling energy to the world; Washington is pushing oil and gas. Both are driven by national security. HERE’S THE ENTIRE ARTICLE.

News and E Info

NYS Energy Plan Public Comments. The draft State Energy Plan is out for comment and we’re asking everyone to get involved. Governor Hochul’s administration is walking back our state’s climate goals and this is an opportunity for New York’s climate movement to publicly demonstrate its power!

We’re calling on the NYS Energy Planning Board to guide our state toward a more reliable energy system that protects the environment, prioritizes energy efficiency, saves us money, and reduces our reliance on fossil fuels. New Yorkers are encouraged to provide oral comments at public hearings across the state in August and September and to submit written comments. For more context about the plan, watch our August Power Hour or view the slides. Submit a written comment with our one-click tool.

BEYOND PLASTICS is proud to announce that their new book, The Problem with Plastic, will be available December 2, 2025, from The New Press. Authored by Judith Enck, founder of Beyond Plastics, it examines the effects of plastics on human health and the environment. To obtain a copy, we encourage you to contact your local independent bookstore.

PLASTIC FREE BACK TO SCHOOL! Speaking of plastics, it’s a good time to see how we can send the kids back to school with less plastic AND teach a good lesson at the same time. CHECK THIS OUT.

ALERT! Are you experiencing the difficulty of having a conversation about climate with someone who holds the opposite view? If so, you’re not alone. Environmental psychologist Renee Lertzman has dedicated her career to developing new ways to equip leaders with the kinds of relational and emotional skills needed to address what she sees as the core block to climate action: a failure to work with the deep layers of collective anxiety, fear, grief and shame around the harm that’s being done to the natural world, and that lives in people across the political spectrum, even if it’s mostly barely publicly acknowledged.

Even as the U.S. seems more divided than it has been in generations, Renée sees the chaos as an invitation to the climate world to move beyond a decades-old “yell, tell and sell” approach to activism, and embrace a more holistic, empathic and psychologically informed strategy. You can follow up on the strategy HERE.

SMALL STEPS: A new group to help the environment is looking for more participation: Tuesdays for Trash. What began as a mission is to not only protect our natural world but create a simple and easy way to scale action that mobilizes communities to fight for a sustainable and trash-free future on our planet. So, get ready to sign up and track your trash. Sign up for TRASH TRACKER and keep track of the litter you’ve picked up and help make a global difference.

ARE YOU FOLLOWING THE NEWS? Updates on Micron, the DEIS, Solar Energy, Sustainability, Cap and Invest, etc. Most likely GreeningUSA has covered the topic at one of its Green Bag Lunches. You can view a recording of their past events at their YouTubeChannel. Just CLICK HERE!

ANGST and CLIMATE PSYCHOLOGY!!! It can be difficult to keep our heads and hearts focused when all around us rules and regulations are changing, climate protections are disappearing, and we feel that we have no control. Never fear! Psychologist Emma Nelson who specializes in climate-inclusive therapy, shared her strategies for dealing with all of this in a recent Zoom event. You can access the helpful RECORDING with PASSCODE N1bM$JL4

BEYOND PLASTICS: Grassroots Advocacy Training – Free + Virtual in Late October. If you’d like to learn how to tackle plastic pollution in your community, sign up to take our free, virtual grassroots advocacy training in late October. Newly streamlined, our training is now just one, two-hour session that’s offered at three different dates/times to make it accessible! Make connections, gain new skills, and join our world.

EV TAX CREDITS: A major component of the recent tax bill that passed (much to the dismay of many, especially environmentalists) was the elimination of the federal EV tax credits, which will expire on September 30, 2025. The information here is valid for those who purchased an electric car until the end of September. Here’s the list of cars that qualify for an EV TAX CREDIT.

And taxpayers are losing more incentives on other issues. Here’s a guide for you:

EV Credits: Federal tax credits for eligible vehicles are available through September 30, 2025, with up to $7,500 for vehicles and $4,000 for used vehicles.
EV Charger Credit: Looking to install a home charger? Get up to $1,000 back on your taxes until June 30, 2026.
Residential Clean Energy Credits: Claim 30% of the total cost of solar panels, battery storage, and geothermal systems if you buy by December 31, 2025.
Energy Efficient Home Upgrade Credits: Make home energy upgrades, like insulation, windows, or efficient electric appliances, by December 31, 2025, to claim the credit.
- Heat pump systems: up to $2,000 in credits for energy-efficient heating and cooling.
- Insulation, air sealing, and weatherization: up to $1,200.
- Electrical panel upgrades: up to $600 to support electric appliances and EV chargers.
- Home energy audits: up to $150 to help identify where you can save the most on energy costs.

SAVE ENERGY, SAVE MONEY. Upcoming EnergySmartCNY Workshops. As the seasons change and energy costs increase, several basic questions come up: How do you read your energy bill, and what are some ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency and reduce costs?

EnergySmart CNY’s Energy Advisors are organizing a series of workshops on energy efficiency – what it means, and how you can achieve it (for both renters and owners). Participants receive free Energy Kits (worth $40) and are taught how to use the items in them. The presentation also covers home improvement and energy efficiency programs that can help attendees of all income levels. Our team can also help attendees apply to NYSERDA’s EmPower+ and Comfort Home weatherization programs. The workshops are roughly 90 minutes long, with time for discussion as well as a light meal.

Reach out to EnergySmart CNY if you would like to join a WORKSHOP.

PODCASTS: A Deeper Shade of Green. Every other Thursday there is a new episode of WAER’s environmental podcast Deeper Shade of Green. Recent episodes include “The Adoption Rate of EVs and Their Importance to the Auto Industry” in which John Helveston, Assistant Professor of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering at George Washington University, shares his research on EV adoption and concerns around incentive rollbacks. The episode can be streamed here.

In another recent episode, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and NYSDEC Regional Director Dereth Glance discuss the Sustainable Syracuse Initiative. They delve into how local and community initiatives can create big impacts in the fight against climate change. The episode can be streamed here.

E Links

Articles of Interest

The Thing Pollution-Heads Celebrating Climate-Policy Sabotage Don’t Understand. (appearing in CleanTechica). The Trump administration is trying to challenge and repeal long established science, but the world is transitioning to electric vehicles and renewable energy. Follow this DEVELOPMENT.

INSIDE CLEAN ENERGY: It is the future, integrating batteries, home solar, and the grid to meet peak load and reduce the need for and use of, standby fossil for peaking. READ THIS but more information is available in the May 16 and July 16 VOLTS podcasts.

Environmental Calendar…

SEPTEMBER 10, 2025

Noon to 1 p.m.

Renewable Energy Now! A talk entitled Stories from the Front Line –Case Studies from Columbia County will explain how solar projects can enhance water quality and protect wetlands. You can REGISTER HERE.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2025

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Energy Literacy Workshop

Oneida Public Library 459 Main St, Oneida, NY

Join an interactive workshop to learn about energy-saving tips and programs that can help you save money year-round. You’ll receive a FREE DIY energy kit (valued at $40) and guidance on enrolling in energy programs. Co-hosted by the Mohawk Valley Regional Clean Energy Hub, Smart Energy Choices.

(Editor’s Note: There will be other workshop offerings in other areas. Visit http://EnergySmartCNY.org/events for the most current list and to reserve your space.)

SEPTEMBER 18, 2025

7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Join Renewable Heat Now for a special 90-minute LTE-writing workshop! Stephanie Doba, the featured speaker, leads a team of Sierra Club volunteers who help people write and submit letters to the editor (LTEs) to publications around the state. We’ll share an update on our efforts to get Governor Hochul to sign the 100-foot rule repeal and our NYS Energy Plan campaign. You can RSVP.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2025

Mobilization in NYC sponsored by 350.org, the Women’s March, Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) and Climate Defenders under the banner of “Make Billionaires Pay”. Key demands are Fund our Future, Protect Migrants and the Global Majority and Defend Mother Earth. This will take place during the UN General Assembly and NYC Climate Week. More information will be shared via Action Network. Sign up to join the march in NYC! And get your bus tickets here.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2025

Fayetteville Festival

Beard Park, S. Manlius St., Fayetteville

2 – 5 p.m.

CCAA will be tabling! Come out and see what educational material we are sharing with the public. Pick up a copy of the Climate Challenge and start helping the environment! And of course, candy for the kids…

SEPTEMBER 21, 2025

It’s Sunday and SUN Day! Join us at this Member Event at Cedar Bay Park on Cedar Bay Road, Fayetteville (between Kinne Rd. and Burdick St.) from 2 – 5 p.m. We’ll “talk solar”, highlight Dewitt’s solar array, learn about all things solar and other renewable energy options. It’s a family affair so come picnic, share solar stories and have fun!

SEPTEMBER 24, 2025

9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

CLIMATE FORWARD The Times Center, New York City

A day of journalism, investigating what comes next for our rapidly warming planet. How will the Trump administration’s policies affect climate change? What happens to climate action now? Will the rest of the world keep moving forward? What are individuals and communities doing to help?

Be there, as Times journalists dig for answers, interviewing world leaders, activists, innovators and scientists on the mainstage. Sit down with leaders responding to the crisis in new, creative ways at the Changemaker Lunch. Experience our latest reporting from the front lines of climate change. Firsthand.

SEPTEMBER 27, 2025

Manlius Swan Fest

1 – 4 p.m.

Resources for Climate Concern

There are some wonderful sources of information about climate and renewable energy out there, and some organizations of special note. All are free, and most importantly all are easily shared and recommended as a great way to spread your concern about climate change.

Here are some of our favorites:

Outrage and Optimism: a weekly podcast that discusses both a selected topic and recent events. Delightful trio of hosts with deep experience in climate, with a worldwide perspective. The title captures the tone. (Outrageandoptimism.org)

Yale Climate Connections: subscribe to receive frequent reports from studies and surveys about attitudes and understanding of climate change. Mostly aimed at understanding American views, it has been surveying these topics for more than a decade. (Climatechange@yale.edu)

Volts: for those of you with an interest in the Energy Transition, David Roberts puts out a weekly deep dive into all aspects of the topic, one interview at a time. It often runs more than an hour, so we would suggest looking to see what the topic is and following your interests. (Www.volts.wtf) that is not a typo.

Bill McKibben, the Crucial Years: Many of you know McKibben as author, climate columnist for the New Yorker, and perhaps America’s most effective climate journalist and activist, the founder of 350.org and Third Act. The Crucial Years is a weekly column of both current climate events and his perspective on them. (Search for McKibben the Crucial Years. He publishes on Substack, but you can subscribe directly.)

Third Act: as noted above is an organization founded by McKibben for people over 60 to get information, take action and organize at a national level. Free membership. (Thirdact.org)

Environmental Voter Project: a wonderful non-partisan not for profit. It uses data to locate nonvoters who would support environmental and climate causes if they did vote. Then contacts them to encourage them to vote in any election, year around. The organization operates in 21 states year around and has 6 million targeted nonvoters. Its goal is to create a political voting block for climate. Well worth investigation and support. Its founder did a wonderful webinar for CCAA several years ago. (Info@environmentalvoter.org)

Help CCAA’s Mission : Purchase a t-shirt

From the beginning, CCAA has focused on its mission to inform and educate the public about the need to protect our environment in the face of climate change. Our organization sponsors events that bring this goal to the public. But we need your help.

Volunteers offer time and energy but the reality of the costs of providing materials, sponsoring attendees at conferences, attending tabling events, maintaining our website, etc. have mounted and so we’re reaching out to you. Can you help?

Purchasing a CCAA t shirt not only supports our efforts but promotes more awareness every time you wear it. It’s available online at THIS SITE.

Image provided by Michael Lorefice

NY Renews Youth Committee Opportunity
NY Renews is a coalition of over 300 organizations fighting for climate justice in New York State. Currently, we’re focusing on a budget campaign demanding NY State invest $15 Billion in the budget this year for climate justice.

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!

Here’s the form to sign up!