Action: Pass a resolution Adopting the CSC Pledge
Tompkins County - Town of Dryden
View Town of Dryden’s CSC Pledge
Inventory emissions, set goals, and plan for climate action
Action: Government Operations Green House Gas Inventory
Schuyler County - Village of Montour Falls
This Government Operations Greenhouse Gas Inventory was compiled by Cornell Cooperative Extension on behalf of the Village of Montour Falls in April 2019. It compares 2013 and 2018 GHG emissions by emissions source. The inventory report is available here.
Decrease energy use
Action: Government Building Energy Audits
Tompkins County - Town of Ulysses
The Town of Ulysses conducted an Energy Audit on the Town Hall, which was conducted by Snug Planet. Snug Planet is a Building Performance Institute (BPI) accredited and Energy Star certified contractor. Recommendations included water heater replacement,fFurnace/AC ductwork redesign, sealing, & insulation in main attic, attic insulation & general air sealing, and plan for heating/cooling equipment replacement. Read the Full Energy Audit here.
Action: Incentives for Employee Carpooling & Transit
Tompkins County
An online form is available for Tompkins County Employees to request a TCAT bus pass to be used for transportation to and from work here
Shift to clean, renewable energy
Action: Geothermal Installation
Tompkins County - Town of Caroline
For the Town Office Building in Caroline, the geothermal system was designed and installed in partnership with the Econoar training staff - IGSHPA certified, Brooke Greenhouse of Cayuga Country Homes - Econar and Climatemaster certified, and Meadowlands Geothermal which was IGSHPA and Waterfurnace certified.
Tompkins County - Town of Dryden
The Geothermal Installation documentation provides detail on the geothermal system specs which covers 100% of the building.
Action: Solar Energy Installation
Broome County
Press Release: The Broome County Library is Going Green
December 30th, 2010 by United Renewable Energy
Press Release: Largest Clean Energy Project Ever in Broome County Goes Live
July 18th, 2018 by GoBroomeCounty.com
Tompkins County - Town of Caroline
The Town of Caroline installed solar panels on the Town Hall building.
Action: Renewable Energy Credits
Tompkins County
In 2016, the County purchased 713,000 kWh in RECs from Gravity Renewables, 1,825,000 kWh in RECs from Constellation Energy, and 4,000,000 kWh in RECs from Integrys Energy Services of New York, Inc. in 2016, amounting to 6,538,000 kWh worth of RECs for 2016, which exceeds the County's total energy usage in 2014.
Use climate-smart materials management
Action: Residential Organic Waste Program
Tompkins County - Town of Dryden
The Tompkins County Solid Waste Division – in partnership with the Town and Village of Dryden – has opened a food scrap recycling drop spot at the Dryden Town Highway Department. The free service allows residents to expand their recycling options and reduce their trash disposal costs.
The material collected each week is taken to Cayuga Compost in Trumansburg for processing, with the resulting compost marketed to landscapers, homeowners, and organizations as a soil amendment. Read Press Release
Action: Construction & Demolition Waste Policy
Broome County
Broome County’s Reuse and Recycling Guide for Construction and Demolition Waste
Action: Waste Reduction Education Campaign
TOmpkins County
The Tompkins County Department of Recycling and Materials Management received a grant from New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) in support of the Save the Food project. View the Press Release Here. Through this grant, the Department developed a comprehensive program for residential food waste prevention, featuring a community film screening, social media campaign, school presentations, and a food waste prevention challenge. To help communities and organizations that are interested in developing a food waste prevention program in their own area, the Save The Food manual was created, highlighting project summaries, tips, and lessons learned.
Action: Government Solid Waste Audit
Tompkins County - Town of Ithaca
Town of Ithaca Town Hall Waste Assessment Report
Town of Ithaca Department of Public Works Waste Assessment Report
Action: Recycling Program for Public Places & Events
Tompkins County - City of Ithaca
The City of Ithaca installed Big Belly trash and recycling bins on the commons. BigBelly reduces the solid waste stream and the cost of trash removal - ultimately mitigating the city's "carbon footprint."
The compactor uses no electricity. The solar cells, installed on the top of the unit, charge a battery that powers the compactor and the sensors. These sensors, located midway up the receptacle, determine when waste within the 32-gallon bin has accumulated to a certain height, at which point compaction is activated.
Implement climate-smart land use
Action: Planning & Infrastructure for Bicycling & Walking
Broome County
The Two Rivers Greenway is a regional walking and bicycling trail system that resulted from the recommendations of the Binghamton Metropolitan Greenway Feasibility Study performed by the Binghamton Metropolitan Transportation Study (BMTS) in 1999.
Tompkins County
The Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council, which is part of the Tompkins County government, developed a bicycle map for the area. The same council also developed a Complete Streets Network map that includes proposals for more trails, expansion of the bicycle boulevard network, and new complete streets (streets that are bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly).
Tompkins County - Town of Dryden
The Dryden Rail Trail is a Bike trail that has been being developed and is open for public use. The newly formed group Friends of the Dryden Rail Trail are very excited that the rail beds will soon be repurposed as a multiuse trail to provide recreational and commuting opportunities, as well as encourage walkers and riders from beyond the Town to visit Dryden.
Action: Alternative-Fuel Infrastructure
Schuyler County- Montour Falls
An EV charging station was installed in a public parking lot near the Pocket Park on Main Street in Montour Falls (Schuyler County). The EV Charger carries a small fee, but is available for public use.
Tompkins COunty - Town of Caroline
Two EV charging stations were installed at the Town Hall in Caroline. These stations can be accessed by the public 24 hrs a day and 7 days a week.
Action: Adopt Land Use Policies That Support or Incentivize Farmer’s Markets, Community Gardens and Urban and Rural Agriculture
Broome County
Broome County houses community gardens at a county park, Otsiningo Park. These are managed through a partnership with Otsiningo Community Gardeners' Association. Broome County also has an agreement with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County for operations and maintenance of the Broome County Regional Farmers. The BC Regional Farmers Market Vendor Handbook outlines the policies for the market including requirements for the source of products and ingredients.
Action: Implement a Safe Routes to School Program
Tompkins County - City of Ithaca
Ithaca: City, school district collaborate on safe routes to school
Press Release
Ithaca: city and school district awarded safe routes to school grant
Press Release
Enhance community resilience to climate change
Action: Develop or Enhance Early Warning Systems and Community Evacuation Plans
Broome County
StormReady uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle all types of extreme weather—from tornadoes to winter storms. The program encourages communities to take a new, proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations by providing emergency managers with clear-cut guidelines on how to improve their hazardous weather operations.
Support a green innovation economy
Action: Solarize, Clean Heating and Cooling, or Solar for All Campaign
Tompkins County - Town of Caroline
Greg Pahl, shared many stories in his new book Power From the People — a guidebook for organizing, financing, and launching local energy projects. His visit inspired the formation of Solarize Tompkins SE which has enrolled almost 300 households from Caroline, Danby, and Dryden in a local solar-buying club. With this stunning success, local activists are feeling optimistic about taking the solar initiative countywide in early 2014.
Action: Green Jobs Training
Tompkins County
Tompkins County funds Finger Lakes ReUse, which offers ReSET, a free job training program. This program offers customer service & retail training in a reuse setting, as well as skills in computer technology & refurbishment.
Action: Farmers’ Markets
Broome County
Broome County was instrumental in the construction and opening of the Broome County Regional Farmers Market. Broome County funded both the feasibility study to identify the economic feasibility of a regional market and establish criteria for a building and the construction of the facility (mix of grants and County funds). Broome County also obtained a grant to get the market up and running upon opening, which was used to fund operations through an agreement with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County through the end of 2017.
Regional Farmers Market Feasibility Study
Schuyler County - Montour Falls
Montour Falls pursued the electrification of the park on West Main Street for the purpose of providing Village electricity to public events, most notably the Farmers Market, held weekly in the park. The Montour Falls Sustainability Committee is involved with public engagement guidance dealing with the promotion of the Farmer's Market and its commitment to Local Goods. Sustainable Montour Falls, which is the brand umbrella for the Village Sustainability Committee will begin to boost the Farmers Market using the social media and online tools at its disposal. The Village Board and the Sustainability Committee agree on the value of the Farmers Market, and agree on the important role it plays in promoting local goods and produce, and both bodies are taking steps to support and improve this community resource.
Action: Buy Local/ Buy Green Campaign
Broome County
Broome County participates in 3 separate Buy Local progrmas: Made in Broome, Farm Trail, and the Broome County Estate Card.
Inform and inspire the public
Action: Energy Reduction Campaign
Tompkins County
HeatSmart Tompkins is an energy reduction campaign by Solar Tompkins to reduce energy usage through heating, which Tompkins County actively supports as its key partner and fiscal sponsor
Action: Local Climate Action Website
Broome County
Broome Climate Smart Communities Website
Tompkins County - City of Ithaca
Action: Social Media
Broome County
Broome County Environmental Management Council Facebook
Schuyler County - Montour Falls
Sustainable Montour Falls, the brand umbrella for the Village Sustainability Committee, manages a twitter account for the promotion of sustainability-related content, and the Village Facebook is being engaged to share content as well as related public events that promote the Village's sustainability goals.
Tompkins County - City of Ithaca
Sustainable Ithaca - City of Ithaca Facebook Page
Tompkins County - Town of Dryden
The town of Dryden has an emergency preparedness facebook page that is intended to inform and educate residents of the town around natural disasters and resiliency. This type of page is increasingly useful and relevant in regards to climate change adaptation and community resilience
Engage in an evolving process of climate action
Action: Partnerships with Other Entities
Broome County
Broome County partners with other communities that are regulated MS4s under federal and state stormwater regulations through the Broome-Tioga Stormwater Coalition. The group works together on stormwater management issues. A major component is educating the public, primarily through the Water From Rain campaign.
Tompkins County
The Water Resources Council Cayuga Lake Monitoring Partnership is a presently active partnership between local government and various water-related entities. In addition to members of the Water Resources Council, the Cayuga Lake Monitoring Partnership includes representatives of Cornell University’s Lake Source Cooling monitoring team, Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, Community Science Institute, Finger Lakes Institute, Floating Classroom, Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Plant, and several researchers from Cornell University.
Innovation
Action: Innovation: New Innovative Actions
Tompkins County - Town of Caroline
In 2012, Town of Caroline in Tompkins County, New York passed a one-year ban on hydraulic fracturing.
"A one-year moratorium gives the town the space and time to work on a number of different issues," Town Supervisor Don Barber said. Road preservation, industrial site plan review, and critical environmental and aquifer protection plans must all be considered, he said.
