The Ulster County Legislature took the time at Tuesday’s regular monthly meeting to present one of its own members, Manna Jo Greene, long-serving legislator of Rosendale and Marbletown, with a lifetime achievement award for her unflagging commitment to environmental advocacy.
Legislator Chris Hewitt singled out Greene’s involvement in efforts to close the Indian Point nuclear reactor and her advocacy work on behalf of the ongoing remediation of the Hudson River from PCB contamination.
Hewitt said that Greene was one of his first heroes, “When I moved here in 2001, I heard all about Manna Jo Greene — not only for her environmentalism but her involvement in local politics. I’d like to thank her for inspiring me to get involved locally.”
Now chair of the energy, environment and sustainability committee, Hewitt acknowledged the large shoes he is expected to fill.
Manna Jo Greene was all smiles. The diminutive, fulsomely-haired environmental activist received her award by giving specific thanks for the “trash girls,” former co-workers at the UCRRA, whom she identified as former legislator Laura Petit, Emily Hauser and Terry Laibach, now of the DEC.
“Many of you probably think we always did recycling,” Greene said, addressing the roomful of legislators and spectators. “Thirty-three years ago that wasn’t the case. We went from four percent to 40 percent in a decade.” She challenged her colleagues to increase that percentage of recycled waste from 40 percent to 80 percent.
Greene said she had “had the good fortune of working for [Hudson River sloop] Clearwater for 23 years.” That connection allowed her to achieve many of the accomplishments pointed out by Hewitt.
Greene has been an activist for one cause or another her entire life, including mingling with Martin Luther King, Jr., founding the Hudson Valley Sustainable Communities Network (HVSCN) and co-founding the Hudson Valley Biodiesel Coop.
Before she begged off from the spotlight of the moment, Greene singled out a project created at the end of last year, the 70 by 30 Renewable Energy Implementation Working Group. “We’re going municipality by municipality in Ulster County,” said Greene, “getting each town and the city to achieve 70-percent renewable energy generation by 2030.” Members of teams of the group can be contacted by residents in each municipality to find out how they could pitch in.
“I want my grandson Emmett, and his parents and all the people that are younger, and future generations to have a safe environment and restored climate for the future, and we can each do our part right here in Ulster County.”
Warm applause followed Manna Jo Greene’s speech.
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