June 2023
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Meeting chair: Michael Helme
NYS Climate Roundup: Michael reviewed which climate-related projects passed the NY State legislature this year, including: Birds & Bees Protection Act; All Electric Buildings Act; Build Public Renewables Act; and New York Cap & Invest (aka “NYCI”). Mary listed a couple important ones that did not make it through, including the HEAT Act.
We then had a short presentation on how methane from municipal waste accounts for roughly 10% of NY’s greenhouse gas emissions. More than half of the things NYers throw away are organic matter; if these were composted instead of landfilled, and if efforts to capture the methane from landfills were more thorough, much of these emissions could be eliminated.
NYCI is currently in a development stage, and the main discussions are around which entities in NY need to report their emissions and which entities will need to purchase allowances to cover their emissions. When NYCI starts working, which should be in January 2025, we will all see higher prices at the gas pump, for fossil fuels used to heat homes, and in many cases for electricity. One-third of the money NY receives from selling allowances will be distributed to lower- and middle-income New Yorkers, to help offset the price increases; two-thirds of the money will be invested in climate solutions, such as promoting composting and methane-capture on landfills, among many other things.
Please stay in touch with Sustainable Warwick for more details on the climate legislation in NYS and how it may be affecting all of us.
Recycling News: We discussed the recent announcement about a change to recycling in Orange County: "Orange County recently instituted a charge on each load of recycling brought to the Orange County Transfer Station that contains more than 10% contaminated waste. According to town recycle vendor, Marangi Disposal, there are Warwick residents who are mixing trash with recycling. They will be reporting addresses to the town, and those residents will be notified by letter to rectify this. Recycle materials should be loose and not in plastic bags. Download the free Recycle Coach app at the iTunes Store and Google Play and utilize the comprehensive “What Goes Where?” search tool to see if an item is a recycling item or trash."
Check out our video on Recycle Coach or just download the Recycle Coach app to have answers to all recycling questions at your fingertips. Flyers will also be available on the SW Farmers Market table and handed out to help people understand just what can be recycled.
PFAS: Mary Makofske asked for help with public education on the lurking problems with the forever chemicals known as PFAS. Elizabeth K recommended a film on this topic, "The Devil We Know", and it could be followed by a brief outline of available solutions. Mary has spoken to Mayor Newhard and Supervisor Sweeton about PFAS. They are awaiting a final EPA decision on safe levels and suitable solutions. Long before municipal solutions are available, individuals can take steps to reduce their exposure to PFAS. SW plans to gather information and post it on the SW website about home water filter systems, including less expensive options, for eliminating PFAS from drinking water. Elizabeth, Kate, Michael and Jody have offered to help here.
Committee Updates
Food Scraps Collection: Volunteers are in place until the end of July. Sign-up "sheet" for August thru September will go out in a couple of weeks. If you want to be on the list, reach out to Christy. The volunteers thanked Christy and Geoff for the help and support, which make it so easy to participate. Awareness of the SW compost collection project is growing and many people contributed their carrot greens and other food scraps, giving us three full bins last Sunday (6/18).
Transformation Trails at Wickham Woodlands: Bill gave the update. The Shade Tree Commission has a program whereby someone can sponsor a new tree to be planted at the arboretum, dedicated to someone with a memorial plaque. SW will establish a $2,000 matching fund to raise donations for planting native trees in the new arboretum; when the webpage for those donations is ready, we’ll publicize it with emails, Facebook posts and a press release. Establishing the new arboretum will take many years, and the total cost is unknown at this time. Elizabeth Korchin suggested planting a paw paw grove as part of the arboretum. There will also be pollinator meadows at Wickham Woodlands. The land has to be rototilled, then covered then rototilled again; prepping the land will take over a year. The covering can be re-used and in the future it may even be loaned out to members for own pollinator pathway landscaping projects.
Coolest Recycling Drive: Michael reported that several groups in the Capitol Region are collaborating on another Coolest Recycling Drive. Besides collecting lots of refrigerants and preventing the emissions of many tons of greenhouse gases, their event will hopefully help state lawmakers and legislative staff be aware of the opportunity for emissions reductions through this kind of program. This is especially timely because Senator Brian Kavanagh has proposed an Extended Producer Responsibility law that would really ramp up this work.
Zoom Garden Plot: The Zoom Garden Plot meetings are going well and continue to meet the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month. All gardeners within earshot of this email are welcome to join the Zoom meeting at 8 PM on Monday, June 26th. To request the Zoom invitation contact garden@sustainablewarwick.org.
Sustainable World Book Club: In June the Book Club read Fen, Bog and Swamp by Annie Proulx, a fairly depressing book about peatland destruction! The discussion covered the Black Dirt Region, which is an example of a drained wetland that we all hope will be managed as excellent farm land for years to come.
The next book is Companion Piece by Ali Smith and copies are available at Wisner Library.
Contact BookClub@sustainablewarwick.org to join in. All are welcome!
Our July 19th meeting will be held at Warwick Town Park on Union Corners Road. We’ll start at 7 PM, but come early if you want to hang out in the park or bring a picnic. Our annual picnic, held in lieu of the August meeting, will also be at Town Park.
Sustainable Warwick is always looking for more volunteers to participate in and lead our various projects. To get involved contact the Steering Committee or check out the initiatives underway on our website.
Please keep in touch!