Join us for a free educational field day to explore distributed wind energy as a viable resource to diversify your property’s power production. Distributed wind systems usually provide power directly to the end-user — in this case, the Doody Farm, who have been using wind and solar to help power their operations since 2013. You…
Join us for a public presentation in Ithaca where you will hear from experts and organizers on data centers, their harms, the proposed data center in Lansing on Cayuga Lake and what you can do!In addition to learning from our presenters, we will have action steps you can take and materials that you can take to…
Just about everyone is aware of the rapid rise in our electric bills over the past few years. Some want to blame the “Green New Deal” and renewable energy projects, but the real causes involve a combination of an aging grid, extreme weather, rising inflation and equipment shortages, distorted utility business models, rising natural gas…
The CNY United for Community Benefits coalition will hold a Volunteer Action Meeting on June 8th at the East Syracuse Free Library, from 6:00 – 7:00 pm. Join us to learn how to make your voice heard and take action to make Micron be a good neighbor, including: – Discussing why we need a community…
Sustainable Finger Lakes awarded a Neighborhood Mini-Grant to the Dryden Rail Trail (DRT) Task Force to plant a “tiny forest” along Pickney Road in Dryden. Their second planting day is set for Saturday, May 16. Please contact Alice Green at agreen@townofdrydenny.gov if you are interested. Read the full article from Finger Lakes Daily News.
Sustainable Finger Lakes awarded the Task Force a Neighborhood Mini-Grant to fund plants and materials to create a native forest beside a section of the Dryden Rail Trail in Etna. The Dryden Rail Trail (DRT) Task Force is inviting volunteers for a second tiny forest planting day along the trail west of Pinckney Rd on…
In STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE!, Amy Goodman takes on soldiers, politicians, and corporate media in a fearless pursuit of truth. Undeterred by armed soldiers, smooth-talking politicians, and riot police, journalist Amy Goodman has reported some of the most consequential stories of our time. Steal This Story, Please! is a gripping portrait of the trailblazer whose…
Extreme weather events like hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes might be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about how climate disruption might impact our health via injuries and fatalities. But the ways that human health is being affected by a changing climate are wide-ranging and sometimes subtly hidden in terms of cause and…
Finger Lakes Land Trust Energy Efficiency Open House, Friday, May 15, 2026 TIME 3:00-5:00 PM LOCATION Finger Lakes Land Trust Office202 E. Court St.Ithaca, NY 14850 DESCRIPTION Come to the Land Trust’s offices in downtown Ithaca for a tour of recently completed energy efficiency improvements in our Leopold Center, including the installation of heat pumps…
For most people in the Finger Lakes Region, the threat of wildfires has typically been something far away in the western states. But the infamous red dawn of June 7, 2023, caused by forest fires up in Quebec, had people scrambling to protect themselves from smoke inhalation – suddenly, we had to consider our growing…
Is nuclear power coming to the Finger Lakes? Join us for a community forum to learn about the risks, costs, and local impacts. Hear from experts including Tim Judson, Robert Howarth, and Yvonne Taylor. 📅 Thursday, April 9🕕 6:00–7:30 PM📍 Saint James Episcopal Church, Watkins Glen, NY Pizza and beverages provided. Come be part of…
Last week, we hosted a webinar, “Protecting Local Communities from AI Data Center Impacts,” featuring our Assemblywoman Anna Kelles, Eric Weltman of Food & Water Watch, and Allison DeSario of FLX Strong. We had 166 registrants and 25% of those were local elected officials and municipal staff from across the Cayuga watershed and Finger Lakes…
Join Cornell researchers and the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability for an interactive discussion and showcase on sustainability within the fashion industry. Our speakers, Danielle Eiseman (Veterinary College / Public & Ecosystem Health), Denise Green (Human Ecology / Human Centered Design), Sarosh Kuruvilla (ILR School / Global Labor & Work), will explore and highlight key points from the film The True Cost (available through Cornell…
When: Saturday, November 1, 2025 – 2:00-3:30 PMWhere: Ithaca Friends Meetinghouse, 120 Third Street, Ithaca Join us for a panel discussion about green death practices. The focus will be on Greensprings, both its history and what you will find there, as well as the ecological stewardship of a natural burial ground that is dedicated to…
A Practical Workshop for People Seeking Positive Community Change Sunday, Oct.19, 2025, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm Led by Eric Rosario, Laura Branca, Margo Hittleman, and Sofia Villenas, with guest speaker Stacey Dimas Location: This is an in-person workshop in an accessible, downtown location with nearby free parking. Location will be provided when you register. What…
FREE, OPEN TO ALL, and INDOORS Sunday, October 12th, 11 am – 5 pm – Indigenous Peoples’ Day Festivalat Tsha’ Thon’nhes (Where They Play Ball) We are excited to be with you for our 3rd Indigenous Peoples’ Day Festival on unceded Onondaga Nation land, Sunday, October 12th, 11 am – 5 pm, at Tsha’ Thon’nhes…
Please join us this Wednesday at 6:30 pm in Lansing Town Hall for a public hearing to precede a vote by the Town Board on a proposed one-year moratorium on large developments while our Town completes its land use and zoning codes update. This will prevent any undesirable projects from being built while we are defenseless to stop…
(FingerLakes1, 09-15-25, Staff Report) Advocates, elected officials, and business leaders will gather this Sunday in Geneva to rally for stronger action on climate and environmental protections in the Finger Lakes — one of New York’s most treasured regions. The event, happening Sunday, September 21 at 1 p.m. at the Finger Lakes Welcome Center, is part…
SunDay, September 21st, 2025, is a global day of action. We are celebrating the unstoppable rise of clean energy. We’ll come together to showcase the power of the sun and wind, the energy sources that can power our world without pollution. JOIN US FOR A DAY OF ACTION CELEBRATING THE POWER OF CLEAN ENERGY! SUN…
The Hard Rain project is inviting community members to share their personal experiences with flooding, heavy rain, or drought issues in Tompkins County, whether big or small, recent or decades old. This is part of a research project on community engagement led by Danielle Eiseman, PhD. If you have any questions, please contact Danielle at dle58@cornell.edu 🍽️Free snacks and beverages🎤Optional audio storytelling – solo, in groups, or anonymous📚 Learn how your story can help inform future flood planning and resilience in our community.
The Hard Rain project is inviting community members to share their personal experiences with flooding, heavy rain, or drought issues in Tompkins County, whether big or small, recent or decades old. This is part of a research project on community engagement led by Danielle Eiseman, PhD. If you have any questions, please contact Danielle at dle58@cornell.edu 🍽️Free snacks and beverages🎤Optional audio storytelling – solo, in groups, or anonymous📚 Learn how your story can help inform future flood planning and resilience in our community.
Join CCE Tompkins Community Energy Advisor Leigh Miller for an interactive workshop to demystify the charges on your electricity bill and learn ways to reduce your energy costs. Topics covered include: Wednesday, June 25, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Free Event Register here
Join Community Foundation of Tompkins County for a powerful conversation about what it means to build a sustainable and just future right here in our community. In this edition of their Let’s Talk series, they’re partnering with Sustainable Finger Lakes to explore local solutions to the climate crisis, share green living tips, and highlight the bold…
To our Sustainable Finger Lakes community, We want to share an important update regarding our partnership with WE ACT through their Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC). This initiative was designed to provide free technical assistance and capacity-building resources to grassroots groups working on social and environmental justice. We had planned to host an in-person workshop to…
Steve Mellon (Pittsburgh Union Progress) and Maximillian Alvarez (The Real News Network) collaborated on stories regarding East Palestine, Ohio to expose the toxic environment harming residents long after the 2023 train derailment; Jewish Currents provided in-depth coverage of Gaza and the related injustices, inequalities, and threats to democracy posed abroad and here at home; and…
Sustainable Finger Lakes, in partnership with WE ACT and Monaghan Consulting, will be hosting an in-person training: “Understanding the Philanthropic Funding Landscape” on June 4, 2025. The event will be hosted at the Tompkins County Public Library. Registration will open on May 1, 2025 and there will be 25 spots available. Please check back on…
Join the 2025 Earth Day Festival at the Ithaca Commons on Saturday, April 19. From noon to 5 pm, enjoy fun, family-friendly activities, resources, food, and music as we celebrate how together we are protecting the planet and communities. Learn about actionable climate solutions that are both possible and attainable. Explore sustainable ways to reduce…
The City of Geneva Green Committee is hosting their fourth iteration of Mission Zero on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at the indoor soccer/ice rink, 666 South Exchange St. from 10:00am-2:00pm. Admission for this family-friendly event is free and open to the public. The Mission of this Earth Day/Arbor Day event is zero carbon, zero waste,…
A multimedia exhibition exploring the lives of the “canners” who make their livelihood collecting recyclable beverage containers. Featuring the paintings of Chinese-American visual artist and activist Siyan Wong, alongside installations and video works by Wong and filmmaker Alvin Tsang. Canvases by painter Mark Gaston Pearce (chairperson of the National Labor Relations Board under President Obama)…
Dear Friends, You are invited to a forum hosted by People for a Healthy Environment (PHE) about extreme weather events and how we can prepare for them. The Southern Tier, similar to the United States in general, will experience worsening extreme weather. This forum is offered to help residents of the region protect their families…
Access to local backup power resources is vital for emergency response, recovery, and public health in the event of an emergency and resulting power outage. Increasingly, community institutions, including institutions of faith, health centers, fire stations, and affordable housing developments, are equipping their facilities with renewable and reliable backup power – solar PV paired with…
Webinar: March 6, 2025, 1 pm – 2 pm ET Have you struggled to create a budget for a grant application or for your whole organization? Creating budgets can seem overwhelming. Join us on March 6, 2025 for an interactive webinar to learn the basics about budgeting. We’ll help to demystify budget creation by providing…
Tuesday, March 11th 6:00 – 7:30 pm at Fayetteville Library, 300 Orchard St. Heat Pumps – Heating and Cooling Your Home Efficiently A presentation by Ian Shapiro, Associate Director of Building Science and Community Programs at S.U. Ian is a national expert in the history, design, efficiency, cost of operation and health benefits of electric heat…
About this event: Tuesday, February 11, 6-7pm EST Join us to learn about Governor Hochul’s scheme to build new nuclear plants – and how to get involved in stopping it. Hochul is failing in her commitment to New York’s climate goals and has embraced the false solution of so-called “advanced” nuclear reactors. The evidence is…
This training focuses on fostering youth inclusion within the environmental justice movement. Panelists will share their personal journeys, discuss challenges they have faced, and explore how organizations can amplify youth voices. The session aims to inspire innovative strategies and youth collaboration to strengthen advocacy efforts. This training will answer the following questions: February 27, 2025…
Learn how a surge in energy-intensive computing threatens to derail a future powered by 100% renewable energy from expert researchers and thought-leading reporters. Hear stories from local activists who are fighting data centers and cryptomines, and the negative impacts they bring. January 23, 2025, 2PM-3PM EST Register here to attend.
Fossil fuel companies have long misled the public through deceptive campaigns, promoting oil, gas, and coal as part of the climate solution, despite research showing that the energy sector is responsible for 75% of global carbon emissions. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA, 2022), no new fossil fuel projects are necessary to meet global…
The Brooke School of Public Policy will be hosting an event, focusing on the impact of climate change on American residential patterns and way of life. The event will be held on November 8 from 7:30 to 9 PM in Call Auditorium, Kennedy Hall. This event is free and open to the public The keynote…
This week, Francis Vanek will be the guest on Discover Cayuga Lake’s weekly community sunset cruise to discuss “Green Boating and Green Tourism.” He will be discussing his new book, Energy Literacy for Climate Action: Technology, Best Practices, and Insights, and putting the nascent transformation of commercial vessels in the context of the larger energy…
Calling all farmland owners! Interested in leasing your land to a farmer? Join our free Landowner Webinar on October 16 to learn about the benefits, challenges, legalities, tax breaks, and how to find the right farmer for you. We’ll also explore cooperative farming options. Experts from PACE Law Clinic and Farmland for a New Generation…
Governor Kathy Hochul releases a final interagency extreme heat action plan. Due to increased dangerous heat exposure to a plethora of communities, there has been a need to address and provide safety for New Yorkers who are exposed to this changing climate. The Department of Environmental Conservation and New York State Energy Research and Authority…
Exciting News! Cafe Dewitt is hosting a special Earth Day dinner with all proceeds going to SFLX! Indulge in a delicious meal while supporting our mission to fund sustainable projects across the Finger Lakes. Get your tickets now and spread the word. Let’s enjoy a fantastic evening for an even better cause! Date: Monday, April…
This Saturday, August 12 from 5 to 7 p.m., the Burmese Farmers of Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farmers will cook dinner to fund their projects and support the incubator farm. The event will include take-out dinner with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. The meals will be cooked and sold at Henry St. John Building…
Do you want to explore what it’s like to live in an ecological community? Join the Ithaca EcoVillage in their EVI Experience weekend on August 4-6, 2023. This weekend will feature tours, workshops, social events and more to give participants a taste of what it’s like to live in this award-winning EcoVillage. For more information…
Investigative reporter Peter Mantius will be presenting a talk entitled “Taking on Polluters and the NYS DEC to Protect Our Communities, Land, Air and Water: What we can learn from three important environmental struggles in New York’s Finger Lakes” on June 6 at 6:30 pm. He will be speaking for the fourth Annual Meeting of…
Join Cayuga SHARE Farm for their picnic fundraiser, which will be taking place on June 10th – food, contests/prizes, music performances, arts and crafts vendors, and games will be available. Find more details on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UgieFarms
On Saturday, June 24th at 10:00 am, award-winning biogas instructor Kathy Puffer will be hosting a workshop that will focus on how biogas systems work and how you can create your own. Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/small-scale-biogas-workshop-tickets-644309355627
This summer, the Community Science Institute is offering 4-H2O: The Journey of Water! This free summer programming series for kids will give them the opportunity to learn more about how water plays an important role in the environment, especially in the Cayuga Lake Watershed. For questions or to sign up, email Grace Haynes: aghaynes@communityscience.org. You…
“Bloom,” a film produced by the Finger Lakes Land Trust and WCNY-TV, will be premiering tomorrow at 8:00 pm. The film highlights the threat of toxic algae to the Finger Lakes region. You can watch the trailer here: https://www.fllt.org/events/bloom-the-toxic-threat-to-the-finger-lakes/ and tune in to watch the show here: http://www.wcny.org/bloom/
If you have any questions about flood risk and insurance, get your questions answered by a FEMA representative today in the Ithaca High School cafeteria until 8:30 pm and tomorrow at the Tompkins County Whole Health building between 4:30 and 8:30 pm.
See this message below from the Sierra Club Finger Lakes Group: On behalf of the Sierra Club Finger Lakes Group, we invite you to a vitally important rally on Earth Day, Saturday April 22nd at 11:00 in Waterloo, NY. The Seneca Meadows Landfill there is scheduled to close in 2025, but its owners have applied to…
Watch this 20-minute film about a small town in Pennsylvania that comes together to protect its community from corporate extractive exploitation. Here’s the link: https://vimeo.com/743479212/3e0154b274?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=1214[…]id=IwAR1WS-oC-KmbsipEsEqLagPyfIWZZS0z2GwVMbFtnKmdiTxLdAjR8gt_P0c
April 27, 2022 at 12pm EST via Zoom Finger Lakes Forecast Webinar Series: Climate Disruption & Food Security Sustainable Tompkins will be hosting a new webinar series this spring and fall. Finger Lakes Forecast will focus on how climate change will impact life in the Finger Lakes Region and what people can do for themselves and their communities to…
Happy New Year! Kick off the year by exploring something new: Create you dream landscape on a small budget, hit the Repair Cafe, or lobby for Renewable Heat Now! Explore the full January Calendar of Events here.
Save the date! Join the League of Women Voters of Tompkins County online Thursday, January 13, 2022 at 7pm to learn from speaker Irene Weiser, Coordinator of Fossil Free Tompkins. Come learn the basics of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies, how the energy appetite of some forms threatens to derail achievement of NYS climate goals, and possible directions forward. Weiser has spent 10 years working toward local and state energy policies that will bring an affordable, equitable transition to renewable energy. She was elected to three terms as council member in the Town of Caroline, serving from 2012 to 2020. Co-Sponsored by: Campaign for…
Have you visited our calendar of events lately? This month, stop by the CAP-a-Palooza Art Sale, donate to a food pantry, or help out on a community orchard! See the full calendar here.
What will you do this month? Vote early? Learn about urban farming in Rochester? Make your own jerky? Explore our calendar or events here.
Join Environmental Advocates NY next Thursday, September 30th from 6:00 – 7:00 pm for a PFAS 101 Virtual Teach-in. During this session, you’ll learn all about PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), the push to expand drinking water testing for these cancer-cauing chemicals, and how you can take meaningful action on the issue.
From 12:00PM to 12:45PM on Wednesday, September 22nd, Luis Aguirre-Torres (Director of Sustainability for the City of Ithaca) and Terry Carroll (Chief Sustainability Officer for Tompkins County) will be the first speakers for the 1000 Conversations Wednesday Panel series. Luis and Terry will talk about what sustainability and climate justice mean for our community. Luis and Terry will talk about what sustainability and climate justice mean for Ithaca & Tompkins County. They will discuss strategy, engagement, collaboration and the undeniable sense of urgency.
Have some family fun down on the farm during the 2nd Annual Schuyler County Farm Trail Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, September 25th and 26th (10:00am-4:00pm unless noted). Ten of the finest farms in the Watkins Glen area and throughout Schuyler County will be open to the public, offering tours, tastings, hay-rides, demonstrations, apple picking, farm-market shopping. Meet the farm animals, too!
Join FOCUS Greater Syracuse on Friday, September 24 at 12:05 pm for a Forum on “Bridging the Digital Divide in Central New York.” This forum will cover the impact of the digital divide in CNY, and the initiatives planned and underway by the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County to address digital inclusion and equity.
Hit up Brighton’s annual Eco-fair, clean up a community garden, or learn about digital literacy with the Alliance for Science! September is full of ways to plug into the sustainability movement. See our September calendar of events here!
This Saturday, September 11th from 2:00pm – 5:00pm, there will be affordable electric vehicles on display at the Ellis Hollow Fair! Swing by and enjoy their sleek design, and see the differences between Hybrids, Plug-In Hybrids, and All Battery Electric cars. Speak with an EV commuter, and learn what the world of electric vehicles has to offer – so close at hand! The average American drives less than 40 miles/day, and used EV’s go beyond that before needing a charge. Even without solar panels, EV drivers save an average of 60% on fuel costs and 50% on maintenance costs, compared…
On Thursday, September 9th @ 6:30 pm, join the League of Women Voters, Environmental Advocates New York, and VoteEarlyNY for a webinar discussing the five ballot propositions all New York State voters will have the opportunity to vote on in November.
FREE! Tompkins County Residents, municipal officials, and food system stakeholders are invited for a discussion of the local food system and a light meal. The Tompkins Food Future team will share the results of a baseline assessment of the Tompkins County Food System with you and would like to hear your insights, innovations, and hopes for the future. Your thoughts and contributions will be incorporated into a shared Food System Plan over the coming year. Dishes and refreshments will be provided by various guest chefs if it feels safe to do so.
It’s August! This month, you can hit the Ithaca Artist Market, volunteer to harvest blueberries for families in need, learn about hemp with Cornell, rally for fossil fuel divestment, and much more! See the August calendar of events here.
Join the Community Science Institute (CSI) on an exploration of Cayuga Lake aboard the Floating Classroom on Sunday, July 11, 2021 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. For the 16th year running, CSI’s 4-H2O Youth Education Program will be partnering with the Discover Cayuga Lake (DCL)’s Floating Classroom to collect and analyze water samples from Cayuga Lake. Participants will learn how to collect water samples using a Van Dorn sampler and will analyze them while on board the Floating Classroom’s cruise ship, the MV Teal. Data collected by youth volunteers will be included in CSI’s online water quality database.
Local resident Claire Dehm will offer three free Women at the Wheel bicycle repair workshops at the Ithaca Farmers Market pavilion in summer 2021. These workshops will be open to women and non-binary residents of Tompkins County, and give extensive instruction on fixing flat tires, helping to make bicycling a more viable form of transportation for more local people. A Neighborhood Mini-Grant will cover all costs of the workshops. Read more about recent Mini-Grant awardees here.
The Community Science Institute (CSI) invites you to a free, water science education event for kids and families at Salt Point Natural Area in Lansing this Saturday, June 12th at 1:00 PM.
Refrigerants are thousands of times more potent compared with carbon dioxide and are among the fastest-growing climate pollutants in the world. Today at 3:00pm, join The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education for a webinar on refrigerant management. Tilden Chao, recipient of Sustainable Tompkins’ Youth Climate Challenge Grant back in 2018 will be on a panel of experts including a researcher at Project Drawdown. Tilden now directs the Yale Refrigerants Initiative and is an EPA Section 608-certified refrigerant handler, with Universal certification. We are so proud of Tilden! Watch the webinar here.
How will you support the sustainability movement this month? Will you thrift to fund grassroots initiatives? Take an educational hike to learn about invasive species? Rally with us to fight bitcoin mining? Explore the full calendar of events here.
Thanks to states’ decarbonization commitments and the availability of technological alternatives to gas-reliant appliances, the coming decades are likely to see radical reductions in natural gas use in residential and commercial buildings and the adoption of clean alternatives. This Thursday, May 27th @12:00pm, the Institute for Policy Integrity, Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, and NYU School of Law’s State Energy & Environmental Impact Center will bring together officials from some of the states leading the way in this transition and ask them to share their distinct perspectives and insights about the path forward.
Please join the Ska•noñh-Great Law of Peace Center and the Erie Canal Museum this Thursday at 7pm for a virtual discussion with Onondaga Nation Farm Supervisor, Angela Ferguson, about the many ways in which the Onondaga Nation is achieving food sovereignty.
Plants for sale include organically grown and heirloom vegetable transplants, colorful annuals, fragrant herbs, hanging baskets, small flowering shrubs, hardy roses, fruit crops, trees, evergreens, and specialty perennials.
In this Zoom gathering, we will listen and learn from each other – and think about ways that we can grow our resilient community together. All participants will be entered into a live drawing for a door prize!
It’s May already! This month, see some democracy-themed art, pick up some free compost, or learn to raise backyard chickens. See the calendar here!
With the in-person New York Geothermal Energy Organization conference moved to next spring, organizers decided to convert the 2021 “Electrify with Heat Pumps” conference content into a series of 27 weekly webinars at noon on Tuesdays.
8 BILLION ANGELS weaves together the voices of people around the world as they confront the growing impact of overpopulation on their lives and the planet. It dispels the misperceptions that technology can save us, that reducing consumption is the answer, and that the blame lies solely in the developing world.
Starting Wednesday, April 21, the Sanctuary for Independent Media presents the North Troy Environmental Justice Film Festival celebrating grassroots activism! From April 21st through May 5th, there will be online screenings and workshops highlighting struggles of people from Cohoes, NY to Arica, Chile!
Join System Change Not Climate Change this Saturday, April 24th at 1:00pm for an in-depth conversation with two leaders of DSA’s Green New Deal and PRO Act Campaign. Learn why they are calling on ecosocialists and climate activists to fight alongside unionists to win major changes to the nation’s labor laws.
A series of studies on some of the most studied toxic chemicals have found that the risk of death and disease is proportionately greater at lower exposures. That’s why we need to achieve near-zero exposures to protect public health. Join Bruce Lanphear, MD, MPH for a free webinar on April 20th at 12:00pm.
Celebrate Earth Day (Thursday, April 22nd) with a virtual trivia event hosted by Kenneth McLaurin and SingTrece from 7:00-8:30pm. Join various Tompkins County organizations in testing our collective climate knowledge while celebrating local connection, solidarity, and action. Between trivia questions, we’ll share information about local efforts to strengthen human and environmental health and liberation, and how you can get involved. Prizes will be provided by your favorite local businesses. Register here!
Dr. Monica White is the author of Freedom Farmers, Agricultural Resistance and the Black Freedom Movement and an associate professor of Environmental Justice at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She will be delivering a virtual keynote address (via Zoom) at 4:00 pm on Monday, April 19th.
In the face of our four current crises – COVID-19, systemic racism, economic disruption, and the climate emergency – we must begin reaching across silos to address our shared challenges. In this discussion, we’ll explore the forces that cause and contribute to institutional silos and ways to recognize them both within and between our organizations. We’ll also examine some of the skills and tools essential to reaching across silos and begin building mutually beneficial, sustainable partnerships.
It’s April! This month, learn how to attract pollinators to your garden, get that bike fixed, or campaign for clean heat! Browse all the regional events here.
Dive into how heat pumps are an attractive alternative for your heating AND cooling needs and say goodbye to your old clunky heating system – with Sustainable Tompkins Board Member, Erica Herman!
Around the country, businesses with a social mission are turning reuse, repair, and deconstruction into engines of job creation and job training for hard-to-employ populations, while also achieving meaningful environmental goals. Some of these businesses have been credited with reducing the recidivism of formerly incarcerated employees to practically zero. Come learn about deconstruction/salvaging, which creates jobs, reduces waste, and saves money!
The film THE STORY OF PLASTIC is a battle cry for the current movement to reduce plastic pollution, and a reality check for the narrative around plastics by revealing how the entire production system pollutes and marginalizes communities, long before plastic pollution makes its way into the ocean. It was called “the most important documentary of the year” by Indie NYC. Register here for free!
Join the League of Women Voters of Tompkins County (LWVTC) at 7:00 PM TOMORROW (Thursday March 11), for a virtual Candidates’ Debate between Leslie Schill and Veronica Pillar. They are running for the special election taking place on March 23rd, for Tompkins County Legislative District 2.
Many municipalities in our area, including Geneva, Canandaigua, Victor, Brighton, Irondequoit, and Pittsford have now joined a CCA (Community Choice Aggregation) program, which acquires 100% renewable, fixed rate electricity. Wondering how to switch your home energy and car needs away from fossil fuels to electric?
Tomorrow (Friday) kicks off the beginning of a 3-day climate summit! It’s 100% virtual & 100% free to all! Featuring… University of Rochester alumni, students, staff and professors, local activists and community organizations, officials from all levels of NY government, including Representative Joseph Morelle. Click here to learn more & register.
On February 16, one of the richest men on earth, Bill Gates, will release his vision of climate solutions in his new book, “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster”. Climate change is one of the crises used by Gates and his Foundation to justify urgent, technocratic “solutions” for altering food systems around the world. In response, AGRA Watch aims to amplify the work of social movements organizing in Seattle and around the world for Climate Justice. To counter top-down, billionaire expertise as the means of solving our world’s most pressing issues, panelists will present an alternative approach centered on Food…
The Community Science Institute (CSI) will be hosting a free online webinar: “Patterns of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and Associated Toxins in Cayuga Lake: Findings from Three Years of Bloom Monitoring.” This free webinar will take place on Saturday, February 27th at 1:00 PM. Registration is required.
On February 21st, from 10:30am – 12:00pm, the Tompkins County Age-Friendly Center for Excellence will hold it’s next workshop in a series called, “A Unifying Framework for Post-COVID Recovery.” A new virtual workshop will be held every month from now through May. This month’s event is called: “What is Age-Friendly Anyways? How it benefits Agencies, Residents, Visitors, and Businesses.” Register here!
Tune in TONIGHT AT 6PM! The Hudson Valley Environmental Justice Coalition hosts Aaron Mair – an EJ advocate, upstate NY native, and first black president of the Sierra Club. See you there!
On Friday, January 22nd, hear from four panelists as they discuss the impact the pandemic has had on the immigrants and refugees of our community. Previous FORUMS are now on video too, including those on mental health, funding change, adaption of arts, housing, isolation, and more in a time of COVID.
In January, 2021 Climate Solutions Accelerator will host a free, three-part online series of facilitated discussion on Ibram X. Kendi’s How To Be An Antiracist (Wednesday evenings Jan.13, 20, 27 from 6:30-8:00 pm).
Achieving carbon neutrality in the building sector will require converting 100% of the fuels used for heating and cooling to zero carbon sources. Most technology applications to date have been implemented on a building-by-building basis, an approach that tends to limit the speed of transition, reduce efficiency gains, and depress the participation of low-income residents. A possible alternative is for an energy utility to transition an entire street to networked geothermal, which has potential for lower costs, greater efficiency, and improved air quality.
Join Vermont Law School’s the Environmental Law Center for the Hot Topics Lecture Series. Thursday, July 30th at 12pm ET is a talk by Maya van Rossum about Green Amendments and their legal implications in defending our environment. This event is free and open to the public. Livestream here! To learn more about Green Amendments, visit For the Generations’ website.
On May 27th, Future Earth Knowledge-Action Network on Systems of Sustainable Consumption and Production will host a mini zoom conference on COVID-19 and Sustainability Transitions. RSVP here to register and to receive the required Zoom link. As a part of this Mini-Conference, participants are invited to share a visual representation accompanied with a text description of their hopes and inspirations, lives, or experiences of sustainability transitions in the era of COVID-19. Click the link to submit an image or video (up to 5). Once you upload your images feel free to leave a comment about where the picture/video was taken…
Raise some chickens! 🐓🐣✨Experienced Ithaca flock owner, Amanda Zerilli will teach you The City of Ithaca and the Villages of Dryden and Trumansburg allow residents to keep a small number of chickens in the back yard (check the specific municipal ordinances for any restrictions) with a permit and evidence of attending a class on raising chickens. This class meets that requirement and attendees will receive a letter from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County to give to their municipality. Cost is sliding scale, $0-$25/household, so pay if/what you can afford.
A new round of training will be starting up in the Spring of 2020–the fifth year! Energy Navigators help Tompkins County residents learn about ways to reduce (and eliminate) their fossil fuel use, and transition to renewable forms of heating and powering their homes and transportation. Navigators go through a ten-session training, and volunteer through public outreach and by sharing information with friends, family, neighbors and others in their networks.
Federal, State, and utility incentives have never been as good as they are right now to make heat pumps affordable. There are additional incentives to help low and moderate income families. Please come for a presentation and discussion on home insulation and heat pump options for heating and cooling.
The Next Storm is a dark and humorous look at the impact that the climate crisis has had on our community. Set in the not-so-distant-future, the story follows an ensemble of characters as they face the struggle between apathy, anger, and action. Who gets to decide the course forward and what are we willing to sacrifice? What happens when students and bureaucrats, parents and developers, idealists and realist come head to head over the best course toward climate resiliency?
Sustainability and resilience aren’t bestowed upon a society. They are crafted and woven from the hard work, vision, and collaborative leadership of its members. Since 2006, Sustainable Tompkins has been celebrating the individuals and groups in our county that are improving our present and safeguarding our future, enriching our lives and making us better human beings.…
Tompkins Weekly – November 23, 2010 By Christian Nielsen Once more, it’s time for the Ithaca Alternative Gift Fair.