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There will be several Climate Marches held locally from April 22 to 29 to show support for the People’s Climate and Science Marches in Washington, DC.
On Saturday, April 22nd
A March for Science will be held on Saturday, April 22 in Albany from 1 to 4 pm, beginning at the NY State Capital Building (see #MarchforScience). For more information, click here.
A March for Science will be held on April 22 at 10 am at Clinton Community College, beginning in Trinity Park, then marching to Cornelia, Beekman, Broad and arriving at the Oval on the “Old Base” (pending City approval) by noon, for the beginning of the Discover Service Earth Day Festival.
Paul Smith’s College is also hosting a March for Science on Saturday April 22, at 10 am marching from the college to the VIC where this year’s Science Art and Music Festical (SAM Fest 2017) will take place. For more information email Nicole Morin the march coordinator at nmorin2000@s.paulsmiths.edu.
On Saturday, April 29th
A People’s Climate March will be held on April 29 in Albany beginning at the NY State Capital Building.
On April 29 a People’s Climate Change March will be held in Plattsburgh from 1 pm to 4 pm, at Trinity Park.
TriCounty NY Transition is hosting a climate march in Glens Falls on April 29. Attendees will gather at City Park (next to Crandall Library) at 10 am , march up Glen Street (9N) to Crandall Park where they will rally until 2 pm. There will be area speakers, musicians, local organization information and activities for children. For information call Catherine at (518) 480-5817 or click here.
A Climate March will be held on April 29 in Potsdam, beginning at 1 pm in Ives Park (3 Riverview Drive). Music by ADK singer-songwriter Celia Evans, activities for children, crafts, information and political action tables, and more.
Photo: New York State Capital Building.
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Hopefully, the governor and the legislature will take note of this and start thinking about what climate change means for the Adirondacks. Increased fire danger, more extreme weather, winters that are more unreliable. This affects land management policy, economic development, and quality of life. It’s already affecting plant and animal species in the region. It’s bigger than the acid rain issue.
The gov and legislature are more likely to become caught up with rising sea level and what that will do to NYC and Long Island. The ‘Daks better get stuff going now before downstate monopolizes the response to climate change impacts to come.
Interesting fact: Despite a state policy calling for it to do so in planning documents, there is no mention of climate change anywhere in the environmental impact statement for Alt-7 and UMP for the Remsen-Lake Placid rail corridor. This means all the planning based on winter related activities in the corridor is essentially invalid, including the economic costs/benefits. It would be better for the long term to keep the rails and develop them, because they are an economic activity far more resistant to climate change impact.
Since you brought it up, WRT state policy, will burning diesel fuel for a sightseeing train through the Park be considered helping to mitigate climate change impacts, or hindering them?
Depends on a lot of things. Will encouraging hordes of people to drive their personal vehicles into the park to get their bikes to a trail help? What will the effect be of encouraging increased use of snowmobiles with their problematic emissions?
What happens if you develop rails AND trails, so people can ride their bikes one way, and return by train or vice-versa, rather that having to spot cars at both ends of a trip?
Would it be a help if a few trains could be run for freight purposes, and replace some of the fleet of trucks that are now used to deliver everything to the area?
What happens if that diesel is biodiesel, completely renewable? What happens if the state invests in the new locomotive designs now coming into use that are hybrid electrics, or even hydrogen powered? A small investment in a few units could turn the rails into a low carbon or even zero carbon transportation system – something not so easily done with the highways.
What happens if more people leave their personal vehicles at home to visit the region by train – and bring their bikes on board or rent them at the stations when they arrive?
What happens if another hurricane comes through and washes out roads again, or freak blizzards dump huge amounts of snow and shut the roads down? What happens if there’s no snow at all, and no snow-based activities except where snow making machines are available?
What happens if there’s a major sporting event or festival or concert, and thousands of people want to come to the area, clogging roads and jamming parking lots? The kind of traffic situation that makes buses impractical because they can’t get through, and you have nothing but stop and go traffic putting exhaust fumes into the air?
WRT state policy to mitigate climate change impacts, do you think the above scenarios might be worth contemplating?
Larry,
A lot of scenarios there I think most have been contemplated both recently and over the last century. Don’t forget people have to drive to ride the train as well. People won’t soon be giving up their cars, and roads won’t soon become obsolete. Auto manufacturers must adhere to federal and state emissions standards. What we need to focus on is will taxpayers and governments see a non-essential scenic/recreational RR as mitigating emissions or adding to them? I understand your point of view, but it is going to take a lot of work to convince others that a Scenic RR through the Forest Preserve is a net positive for the environment.
How is it that all roads lead to the rail issue?
There will also be a Climate March, April 29 in Potsdam, NY, beginning at 1 p.m. in Ives Park. Music by ADK singer, songwriter Celia Evans, piñata and animal “tatoos” for children, craft, info. & political action tables, and more.
Thanks, I’ll add this to the list above.
John Warren
Editor
Well, since we’re talking about climate change here, it seems worth noting that the state omitted any mention of it despite the long term impact Alt 7 is going to have if it survives the legal challenge. It’s a bit of evidence that the powers that be may benefit if they pay attention to what all the people who will be marching are concerned about. This is one particular place where the rail issue comes up – but it’s also part of the larger picture. For example, one feature discussed for the new bridge over the Tappan Zee would have been adding a rail line to the bridge, to give people a commuter rail option that would help reduce highway traffic in the area. It was dropped because of the expense – but we’ll be dealing with the costs of that omission for as long as the bridge is in use, including more green house gases from personal vehicles.
I’m all for commuter rail where it makes sense – in and between population centers. Beyond that, people across the US are likely to give up their guns before they give up their cars.
Interesting that you compare it to gun rights. No one is forcing people to give up their cars – yet – but why exactly is there such hostility to having rail options? I really think you are trying to create a false equivalence here.
I don’t think you can make a case that limiting access to the Adirondacks to personal vehicles is exactly environmentally friendly either. It’s certainly not people-friendly, because it excludes a lot of people who for one reason or another don’t want to drive. Again, note how easy it would be to make the railroad low carbon or zero carbon.
There’s also the point to consider the larger economic impacts of rail travel options and their consequences for sustainability, versus exclusively car-based activities – and that they are not mutually exclusive.
Climate change is going to force us to reconsider a lot of things – we need to keep our options open, lest we end up going down a dead-end road.
Also, join us for a fun, peaceful celebration of Earth Day in the Clifton-Fine community. In alliance with the NorthCountry350.org events.
Clifton-Fine Cares
Earth Day March
(The Corner of Route 3 & Newton Falls Road)
Saturday, April 22
10 AM – NOON