Putnam Residents Seek Climate Change Solutions
A few hours after President Barrack Obama stressed the need to deal with climate change in his inaugural address; several Putnam residents discussed possible solutions.
The Putnam County Coalition to Preserve Open Space, the Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition and Concerned Residents of Camel/Mahopac sponsored a Climate Change Forum on Jan. 21 at the Mahopac Public Library.
Ann Fanizzi, chairwoman of the Putnam County Coalition to Preserve Open Space, told the roughly 30 local residents in attendance the meeting was the first of a series of forums that the organizations would be holding in the county.
“We’re here to make change,” Fanizzi said. “It is being forced on us.”
Suzannah Glidden, director of the Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition, called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to not permit fracking for natural gas in the state because of the potential environmental damage associated with the process. A report on the health impacts of fracking is scheduled to be presented to Cuomo on Feb. 13, she said.
Methane gases released during the fracking extraction are “a toxic brew,” Fanizzi said.
New York University professor Lisa DiCaprio discussed energy conservation and efficiency and renewable energy.
There are various types of appliances on the market that are energy efficient, DiCaprio said. Those appliances receive Energy Star designation from the Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy, she said.
To find out how energy can be conserved, “It’s important to begin with an energy audit,” DiCaprio said. Loans are available for those who purchase systems to make their residences more energy efficient through such means as installing solar power systems, she said.
Doug Hertz, president of Sunrise Solar Solutions, discussed the topic, “Solar Panels: A Here and Now Business Decision.” The cost of installing a solar power system for their homes or businesses will pay for themselves in a few years because of energy cost savings, Hertz said. There are various tax credits available for those who install solar power, he said. Solar panels can last for up to 35 years, he said.
Fanizzi said the groups have tentatively scheduled their next forum for April 8. Representatives from the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency will be invited to address residents at the meeting, she said.
