VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Climate experts gather in CNY with election day around the corner
Jill Schumacher: SUNY ESF is hosting an annual fall conference. This event is put together by the Northeast Recycling Council and Center for Sustainable Material Management. A fancy name for organizations working with sustainable materials.
Kathryn Walker: We have really aggressive climate goals. And we’re a part of that solution.
Schumacher: New York state law is mandating a 40% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and an 85% reduction by 2050. Executive Director Kathryn Walker says their mission is to reimagine and redesign waste.
Walker: Educating residents about what they can do at home, as well as doing critical research that will provide policy in New York.
Schumacher: The goal of this conference is to talk about sustainability and how to effectively manage resources. Bringing together climate experts to collaborate on how to create a sustainable future. Walker says local elections are just as important as the national election when it comes to climate policies.
Walker: We’ll find a way, and we’ll find a solution. Of course, these challenges will be great no matter what happens next week.
Schumacher: One of the many topics is figuring out how to reduce items in landfills, lower greenhouse gas emissions and how to meet the goals of the state. President of SUNY ESF Joanie Mahoney says the people here are in charge of thinking differently rather than resting on the progress that’s been made.
Joanie Mahoney: It’s very literally changing the world. The work that’s done here at ESF gets exported around the world, and it all contributes to reducing climate change.
Schumacher: Mahoney says this conference allows people to learn from each other and to continually raise the bar. When it comes to the ballot box, Mahoney says it’s important to vote for the person you know is supportive of the change this planet needs. Jill Schumacher, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Environmental experts have come together at SUNY ESF to discuss the future of sustainability.
They partnered with the Northeast Recycling Council and the Center for Sustainable Material Management for the Rethinking Resource Conference.
In 2019, The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act was put into action in New York.
This law requires the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and an 85% reduction by 2050.
Executive Director Catherine Walker said they are a part of that solution, doing critical research that will provide policy in New York.
“Our mission at the center is to reimagine and redesign waste how we think about waste is a concept. Everything is a recourse,” said Walker.
Walker said local elections are just as important as the national election when it comes to climate policies.
SUNY ESF President Joanie Mahoney said the group at the conference is charged with thinking differently rather than resting on the progress that has already been made.
“I’m just really proud to be in the institution that starts a lot of these conversations,” Mahoney said.
SUNY ESF has been contributing to reducing climate change with other countries who wanted to use its center for sustainable materials management.
Mahoney said it’s important to vote for who you know will be supportive of the change the planet needs.
“Vote for the folks that you feel are really supportive of the work that we do at ESF and supportive of the change that really needs to come across the whole planet,” Mahoney said.