What YOU Can Do to Help the Environment

What YOU Can Do to Help the Environment Community Advocates for a Sustainable Environment

Do Something Problem The news about climate change is overwhelming and discouraging. It’s easy to throw up our hands and do nothing.

Do Something Solution The good news is you’re here at the Fair. So you’re already doing something. Here is a synopsis of things you can do to help the planet and the resources here at the Fair to help you do that.

Home Insulation Problem The more heat that escapes from our homes through poor insulation and leaks, the more energy we need to use. The more energy we use, usually the more fossil fuels we use. Older homes can lose up to 35% of heat through their walls.

Home Insulation Solutions Get a free NYSERDA Energy Audit: https: //www. nyserda. ny. gov/All. Programs/Home. Performance-With-ENERGY-STAR. Seal windows and other areas where there is heat loss. Install better insulation.

Home Insulation Resources at the Fair • Affordable Housing Partnership (a nonprofit agency and NYSERDA Community Energy Advisor) • Albany Community Action Partnership • Renewal by Andersen/ Gutter Helmet • National Grid • True Building Performance

Electricity Problem Most of our electricity is sourced through fossil fuels. The extraction, transportation and burning of fossil fuels is a key contributor to global warming.

Electricity Solutions Everyone can use renewable energy, whether you own your house or not. Converting to renewable sources of energy for electricity will reduce global warming significantly. There are many ways to do this.

Electricity Solutions (cont. ) Put Solar Panels on your home/business (which you can buy or lease). Use electricity from a Community Solar Farm (buy, lease or subscribe). Use an alternative energy supplier. Work toward and then sign up for Community Choice Aggregation (that uses renewable energy).

Electricity: Put solar panels on your home/business Solutions Put Solar Panels on your roof or mount them nearby The most cost effective solar option in the long run. Your home/business needs to receive enough sunlight.

Electricity: Put solar panels on your home/business Resources at the Fair AEC Solar Apex Solar Power Eden Renewables Hudson River Renewables (Hudson River Solar) Kasselman Solar

Electrify your home with Solar: Put solar panels on your home/business Resources at the Fair (cont. ) Monolith Solar Associates New York State Solar Farm One Energy/Zeroenergy Buildings Inc. Plug. PV

Electrify your home with Solar: Put solar panels on your home/business Resources at the Fair (cont. ) Seed Solar and Engineering Solar Liberty Sun. Common Solarize Albany (a not for profit that provides information on solar options)

Electrify your home/business with Solar: Community Solar Subscription Solutions Community Solar If your home/business does not receive enough sunlight, or you don’t own your home or you don’t want panels on or near your home… You can sign up with a community solar farm and receive a 10% reduction in your electric bill. The energy created by the panels at the solar farm, which you have subscribed to, offset your electric use. Easy sign up. Easy billing.

Electrify your home/business with Solar: Community Solar Subscription Resources Ampion Common Energy Eden Renewables Monolith Solarize Albany (a not for profit that provides information on solar options) Sun. Common (a certified B-Corp)

Electrify your home/business with Solar/Wind Alternative Supplier Solution You can elect to have a different energy supplier and choose a company that has up to 100% renewable energy sources. Usually there is a slightly higher cost for this.

Electrify your home/business with Solar/Wind Alternative Supplier Resources at the Fair Green Mountain Energy

Electrify your home/business with Solar/Wind: Community Choice Aggregation Solution A Community can use its bulk buying power to negotiate a different blend of energy sources for their electricity. Usually they can also negotiate a less expensive rate.

Electrify your home/business with Solar/Wind Community Choice Aggregation Resources at the Fair Capital District Community Energy

Energy Efficiency Problem There are many ways that our homes/businesses use more energy than we need to.

Energy Efficiency Solutions Create and live in (more) energy efficient homes/businesses. Buy more efficient appliances. Use more efficient light bulbs. Insulate your home. Insulate your pipes.

Energy Efficiency Resources Affordable Housing Partnership (a nonprofit agency and NYSERDA Community Energy Advisor) Albany Community Action Partnership One Energy/Zeroenergy Buildings, Inc. National Grid (Energy Rebates) Solara Ecoluxury Apartments

Heat and Cool your Home/Business Without Fossil Fuels Problem The largest use of fossil fuels in our homes/businesses is for heating.

Heat and Cool your Home/Business Without Fossil Fuels Solutions Geothermal energy is a renewable source of energy to heat and cool your home/business. Air source heat pumps are another electric way to heat and cool your home/business.

Heat and Cool Your Home Without Fossil Fuels Resources at the Fair Aztech Geothermal Dandelion Energy Heat Smart Capital Region SCOOP HVAC, LLC (dba Superior Co-Cop HVAC)

Transportation Problem Because of its near total dependence on petroleum fuels, the US transportation sector is responsible for about a third of our country’s climate changing emissions. Reducing transportation emissions is one of the most vital steps in fighting global warming.

Transportation Solutions Buy an Electric Vehicle Walk Bicycle Use Public Transportation Advocate for better Public Transportation Car Pool

Transportation Resources at the Fair 511 NY Rideshare Albany Bicycle Coalition Capital Car. Share Capital District EV Club CHPHP Cycle!

Reduce, Refuse, Recycle Problem Our consumer society has created too much stuff and too much waste. The energy and resources that go into making the stuff and the space, pollution and emissions that the waste creates is a growing problem contributing to global warming.

Reduce, Refuse, Recycle Solutions Live with Less. Own only what you use Buy things with little or no packaging or recyclable packaging Use less plastic Bring reusable shopping bags, cups and utensils with you wherever you go

Reduce, Refuse, Recycle Solutions (cont. ) Recycle everything you can Repair, rather than replace (or bring to a Repair Café) Swap Buy used Grow your own

Reduce, Refuse, Recycle Resources at the Fair Albany Recycles: Department of General Services for the City of Albany Beyond Plastics Foodscraps 360 Prezzie Bags Radix Ecological Sustainability Zero Waste Capital District

Invest Sustainably Problem We vote with our dollars. Most of us don’t know the environmental impact of our investment decisions. Our money is often contributing to the very things we are fighting. In addition, when we shop in box stores and buy non organic food we are voting for practices that hurt the planet.

Invest Sustainably Solutions Invest in organizations that promote renewable energy and sustainable living (or at least divest from fossil fuels). Move your money to a community development bank or credit union (and away from a Wall Street Bank). Vote with your dollar: Buy local and sustainable. Encourage organizations/pension funds/states to divest from fossil fuel.

Invest Sustainably Resources at the Fair Merrill Lynch: Erin Santspree Sustainable Wealth Advisors

Get involved in a local environmental group Problem We often feel powerless as individuals. We’re not sure what to do.

Get involved in a local environmental group Solutions Join an organization Go to meetings Volunteer to help Attend rallies and marches Help organize events

Get involved in a local environmental group Resources at the Fair Citizen's Climate Lobby Community Advocates for a Sustainable Environment Extinction Rebellion First Reformed Church of Schenectady Creation Care

Get involved in a local environmental group Resources at the Fair (cont. ) New York Interfaith Power & Light People of Albany United for Safe Energy (PAUSE/350. org) Rensselaer Environmental Coalition. Save the Pinebush Solarize Albany

Get involved in a local environmental group Resources at the Fair (cont. ) Sierra Club- Hudson Mohawk Group Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline (SNYFGP) The Climate Reality Project: Capital Region, NY Chapter Women Against War

Advocate Problem Often the heart of the problem lays with public policy. Individual actions are not enough to address the climate emergency alone.

Advocate Solutions We must advocate for what we believe in: Write letters to the editor Spread the word Educate local organizations Lobby governmental agencies at all levels Talk to your friends and relatives about the climate crisis

Advocate Solution “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. ” Margaret Mead

Advocate Resources at the Fair Albany Sustainability Advisory Committee Alliance for a Green Economy Food and Water Watch New Yorkers for Clean Power Sierra Club- Hudson Mohawk Group

Government Agencies Confronting the Climate Crisis Resources at the Fair Albany Recycles Albany Sustainability Advisory Committee NYS Department of Environmental Conservation NYS Department of Public Service NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority)

Eat Sustainably Problem Raising livestock for meat, eggs and milk generates 14. 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. . . It also uses about 70% of agricultural land is one of the leading causes of deforestation, biodiversity loss and water pollution. (The Guardian) American throw away 40% of the food they buy.

Eat Sustainably Solutions Be Vegan Be Vegetarian East less meat and dairy and more protein-rich plants like beans, legumes, nuts and grains Eat more real food and less processed food

Eat Sustainably Solutions (cont. ) Buy food from growers and farmers that operate in a manner that restores the soil. Eat organic food Eat seasonally and locally Plant your own vegetable garden

Eat Sustainably Resources at the Fair Foodscraps 360 Healthy in a Hurry Honest Weight Food Coop Radix Ecological Sustainability Vegan for the Animals Vegan for the Planet

Educate Yourself Problem There are so many things to learn and new information constantly. So its important to have current sources of information about renewable energy and sustainable living.

Educate Yourself Solutions Subscribe to Green Energy magazines, newspapers Subscribe to Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living blogs Subscribe to Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living list serves On-line resources Read books Go to conferences

Educate Yourself Resources at the Fair Cap. Sci Drawdown Project Grassroots Environmental Education Green Energy Times Green America

Educate Yourself Resources at the Fair Hudson Valley Community College. Workforce Development New York Solar Energy Society University at Albany Green Scene Everyone at the Fair

Sustainable Practices with the Earth Problem The loss of the world’s fertile soil and biodiversity, along with the lose of indigenous seeds and knowledge, pose a mortal threat to our future survival. Within 50 years we will not only suffer serious damage to public health due to a qualitatively degraded food supply characterized by diminished nutrition and loss of important trace minerals, but we will literally no longer have enough arable topsoil to feed ourselves.

Sustainable Practices with the Earth Solutions Regenerative Agriculture (a system of farming principles and practices that increases biodiversity, enriches soils, improves watersheds, and enhances ecosystem services) Restore carbon, organic nitrogen and biodiversity to agricultural soils Compost Save land from development

Sustainable Practices with the Earth Resources at the Fair Dirt to Soil SUCCESS Rensselaer Land Trust Radix Ecological Sustainability Center Zero Waste Capital District

Create Beauty and Meaning Problem Sometimes we are so worried about the problems that confront the world and even its existence that we forget to smell the roses.

Create Beauty and Meaning Solution Create Beauty and Meaning in your life.

Create Beauty and Meaning Resources at the Fair Prezzie Bags S & K Clean Air Solutions (so you can smell the roses) Troy Poem Project

Speakers at the Fair Speakers 11: 00 - Welcome and Introduction by Fair sponsor: Community Advocates for a Sustainable Environment 11: 15 - Welcome from Albany Mayor Sheehan 11: 30 - The Drawdown Project and What We Can Learn From It: Melissa Everett from Sustainable Hudson Valley and Dorna Schroeter, from the Biomimicry Institute 12: 30 - Animal Agriculture and its Impact on the Environment: Rachel Mc. Crystal from the Woodstock Farm Sanctuary 1: 30 - What The "Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act" Really Means: Bob Cohen, a NY Renews member, which is the coalition that wrote and lobbied for the bill 2: 00 - Environmental Activism: Panel Presentation from local climate activists from Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline, Food and Water Watch, the Extinction Rebellion and the Albany Youth Climate Strike

Stay in Touch Community Advocates for a Sustainable Environment This slideshow will be available on our website: Caseonline. org

Thanks for coming today! Go out into the Fair and be amazed and heartened by all the things that are being done to help our environment.