Volunteers working to keep New Paltz a leading community in efforts to stem the destruction of human-caused climate change would like a word. Understanding that the size and scope of the problem can make it feel too overwhelming to act, they are surveying community members to find ideas for how individuals can make a difference. The volunteers are going to a number of local events to ask questions, which will culminate in a community workshop in October and a nifty report of the results in November. All of this will lead to the creation of a community climate action plan, a set of steps that residents of New Paltz not only can take, but hopefully will take because they contributed to putting the plan together.
Janelle Peotter, the local climate-smart coordinator, brought this update to Village Board members at their September 14 meeting. Surveying residents about what to do next is a natural progression from the collection of data about the local issues, in the form of several greenhouse gas inventories. From those data it’s clear that the largest portion of greenhouse gases in New Paltz come from legacy combustion cars, most of which are passing by on the Thruway. In terms of government, vehicle use and heating buildings were high on the list. Figuring out the baseline in New Paltz helped get village and town alike bronze designation as “climate-smart communities,” which can be used to secure advantage in the hyper-competitive process for securing state aid for local projects.
Some of the funding made available is best used to help secure the silver designation, which is much more difficult because each successive action to address climate change is going to involve more money, and more changes to lifestyles. Climate-smart volunteers have worked closely with members of the Climate Action Coalition on helping local residents make this transition. Ongoing activities include monthly climate meetups on the first Tuesday, and a climate book club on the third Tuesday. The sale of climate-smart-branded stainless-steel tiffins continues at a healthy clip; hundreds of these reusable food containers have been sold at $15 each to reduce takeout food waste. According to Peotter, these are accepted for use at 95% of local restaurants, and work is ongoing to get one or more restaurateurs to sell them directly and actively promote the idea in order to reduce the amount of packaging that’s destined for a landfill.
“The climate emergency demands that we do all that we can in the village,” Peotter said. However, there is a “danger of people losing hope if they see everyone isn’t all in.” This survey will help everyone get all in, first by contributing ideas, and then by adopting what’s eventually put into the plan. Pace Law Center personnel will help with the process, with their time paid through grant funding.
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