Welcome to the October/November 2011 issue of the TCCPI Newsletter, an electronic update from the Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative (TCCPI).

 

TCCPI is a multisector collaboration seeking to leverage the climate action commitments made by Cornell University, Ithaca College, Tompkins Cortland Community College, Tompkins County, the City of Ithaca, and the Town of Ithaca to mobilize a countywide energy efficiency effort and accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. Launched in June 2008 and generously supported by the Park Foundation, TCCPI is a project of Second Nature, the lead supporting organization of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).

 

We are committed to helping Tompkins County achieve a dynamic economy, healthy environment, and resilient community through a focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy. 

Six hundred student volunteers from Cornell University visited over 8,000 households in Tompkins County on October 29 to hand deliver free bags containing a compact florescent light-bulb and information on ways to save money on energy. The event marked the 20th anniversary of "Into the Streets," Cornell's annual day of community service - sponsored by the Cornell Public Service Center. The energy savings bags are part of an upcoming county-wide campaign, "Get Your GreenBack Tompkins," which will launch in January, 2012. 

 

Educational materials in the bag included low and no-cost energy-efficiency measures residents can take to save money, an application for a home energy assessment (worth

Cornell Students go "Into the Streets" to raise awareness about energy efficiency.

over $400); alternative transportation options, how to buy more local food, and reduce the cost of waste disposal. The materials also provided information on the "Get Your GreenBack Tompkins"campaign, including an entry ticket for a raffle for a chance to win over $2,000 in prizes from local energy efficiency retail product providers. 

The "Get Your GreenBack Tompkins" campaign is sponsored by a coalition of over 60 local organizations (visit getyourgreenbacktompkins.org for a full list) and aims to inspire every household and business in the county to take at least one new energy and money-saving step in their transportation, energy, waste, and food choices in the next year, which can save money and create jobs for Tompkins residents, and bring the county closer to its goal of reducing carbon emissions 80% by 2050. 

"The 'Get Your GreenBack Tompkins' campaign is a great way to get families talking about energy use and saving money," said campaign logistics co-coordinator, Shawn Lindabury of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County. "Many people don't realize how easy it is to make simple changes in their home that can lead to real savings. By handing out these bags and interacting with Tompkins residents, we hope to inform people of all the funding resources that are available to make home energy upgrades." 

As the winter season approaches, home energy demand is set to rise, resulting in higher utility bills for Tompkins families, along with the release of more climate-change causing gases. With many families facing economic hardship, there has never been a better time to make choices that benefit both their wallets and the environment. 

According to Mike Koplinka-Loehr, co-coordinator of the Get Your GreenBack Tompkins effort, 'If every household uses the free energy-efficient light bulb included in the bag, it will result in $667,000 in savings for county residents, and also will prevent the emission of 8.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent of taking 553 cars off the road. And that's only from screwing in a free light bulb. If every Tompkins resident takes just one more energy and money saving step, we could all see huge benefits."

Ideas for energy and money-saving steps can be found on the "Get Your GreenBack Tompkins" interactive website, which allows residents to see what other people in their community are doing to contribute to the campaign goals. 

 

Hannah Foster

TCCPI Intern

These and other stories like them make clear that adaptation to the shifting climate has become an urgent matter. Even if all greenhouse gas emissions stopped tomorrow there is enough climate change already baked in that we would still have to cope with its widespread consequences. In short, even as TCCPI continues to support steps to reduce our county's carbon footprint, we must also begin to help develop strategies for climate adaptation.

Second Nature has just released a national report on the role of higher education in adapting to a changing climate. I had the privilege to serve on the committee that produced this report, and our work drove home the pressing need for communities, along with colleges and universities, to come to grips with the reality of a dramatically different future. Indeed, faced with rising sea levels, more extreme weather events, species migration, and other related developments, campus-community collaboration will become a critical priority in the effort to create a more resilient society. 

Best wishes as we enjoy these last few  days of fall!

 

Peter Bardaglio

Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative