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Energy
and Climate
The Long Island
Group believes that the challenge of addressing climate change and
dependence on fossil fuel is global, some of the most important
solutions can be local. For this reason we are reaching out to multiple
cities, towns, and counties across Long Island with the Cool
Cities program, to promote efficient use of energy and renewable
sources while reducing carbon emissions. With this program, and
with you as our active members, we will make Long Island a shining
example of an energy smart United States. Join us.
BUT!!!!
100% renewably generated electricity for L.I. is possible using only today’s technologies and equipment. Read about it here.
In Your
Town: Using Cool
Cities, we work with municipalities to reduce emissions.
Read more.
At School: With
Renewable
Schools, we promote renewable energy and efficiency
in schools. Read more...
At Home: Save
money and reduce your own CO2 footprint. Read
More...
Green
Your Business-How to save money responsibly
Greening
your business: a primer for smaller companies (pdf)
Cool
business guide (pdf)
Feeling the Heat - Required reading
for business success (pdf)
Greenbiz
Toolbox
ENERGY
STAR®: Business Improvement
Visit
these links for more information:
Local
Initiatives:
Green
Playbook
US
Mayors Climate Protection Center
2008Grant
opportunities (federal)
USMCPA
best practices report
Database of
State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE)
ICLEI
Local Governments for Sustainability
Broad
based information related to energy:
US
Department of Energy
Solar
Energy
Climate
Change
EPA
(Environmental Protection Agency
Union
of Concerned Scientists
Ross Gelbspan’s
site
Contact:
Click on the Energy Chair on our Contact
Page or
fill out our on line Volunteer
Interest Survey or our PDF Volunteer
Interest Survey and check off "ENERGY".
Want
to use Wind Power now, today, for a few pennies per day? Residents
can sign-up at Community
Energy’s website or call us at 866-WIND-123 (866-946-3123).
Be sure to mention the LI Sierra Club as we will make a donation
to them for every sign-up! Business leaders can participate by calling
(845) 454-2113. For more details, see below, or click on the above
link.
In Your
Town: Using Cool
Cities, we work with municipalities to reduce emissions.
Under Cool Cities
www.coolcities.us we ask towns to pledge to reduce their carbon
emissions and meet the standards of the US Mayors Climate Protection
Agreement. The Climate Protection Agreement is like the Kyoto Protocol
for US towns- municipalities pledge to reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions 7% below 1990 levels by 2012. We also ask towns join ICLEI
(International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives- an organization
that assists with performing town wide energy audits and creating
climate action plans), and to create and implement a climate action
plan.
Long Island
Cool Cities include: Babylon, Brookhaven, Oyster Bay, Southold,
Riverhead, Suffolk County, Nassau County (Cool Counties) and counting...
See www.coolcities.us to
see if there is a campaign in your town, and to sign on to help.
You can also contact our energy chair about Cool Cities.
With Cool Cities
we want to see municipalities do the following:
-Sign
onto (and pass a resolution supporting) the US Mayors Climate Protection
Agreement- the Kyoto protocol for towns. More
info.
-Join
ICLEI,
a non-profit organization that provides software and support to
perform climate audits of the town and the community. The cost is
a few thousand a year, but they end up saving the town much more
in energy savings.
-Perform these
energy audits and create an action plan for meeting long term CO2
reduction targets
-Enact changes
that get them to meet those targets (including creating an green
energy or climate task force including committed members of the
community that can help track and suggest changes).
-Regularly
update the climate audit and climate plan to make sure the town
meets or beats its target.
Sign up at the Cool Cities website as an activist to help- lead
the effort for your town or help with an existing campaign. Go
back to the top
Tool
for Cool Cities:
At
School: With Renewable
Schools, we promote renewable energy and efficiency
in schools.
Renewable
technologies such as solar power,wind,or geothermal eventually generate
enough energy to pay for themselves. Energy efficiency upgrades
such as insulating or replacing light bulbs reduce energy expenses,
and like renewable energy can generate enough savings to pay for
itself. By coupling energy efficiency upgrades which immediately
yield energy savings with renewable energy installations that generate
free energy, school districts can recoup the cost of the initial
investments within 10-15 years.
However,often the initial investment can seem unmanageable, especially
when school districts struggle to maintain basic services under
a reasonable tax burden. Rebates and tax credits from LIPA,NY SED
and the federal government can help to overcome that barrier,but
for school districts that are reluctant or unable to finance the
upgrades, energy service companies can reduce the expense to ZERO.
That’s right! School districts can upgrade to energy efficient
equipment, install renewable energy, and not pay a penny! Schools
can even make money! Go back
to the top
For
Renewable Schools
At
Home: Save
money and reduce your own CO2 footprint.<-Click here for
53 ways to use less fuel and less electricity in your home. Get
a home energy audit to see if you can reduce your heating bills.
Reference the web sites included in our Global
Warming page for some more ideas. It's your money and your planet.
Energy
Conservation and Energy Audits
53
ways to save energy
LIPA’s
Clean Energy Initiative
Sierra Club (Loma
Prieta) site
RELI (Renewable
Energy Long Island) Solar
Qualified
Incomes Use These Energy Conservation Programs
LIPA’s REAP:
New York’s Assisted Home Performance with Energy
Star
Go back to the top
The Sierra Club is a nonprofit
member-supported, public interest organization that promotes conservation
of the natural environment by influencing public policy decisions
-- legislative, administrative, legal, and electoral.
Click
here for an interactive, quick, tour of who we are
and how you can be part of it.
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