LOCALadk Magazine

20 Summer 2019 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk The Adirondacks Are A Sponge The Park's greatest asset in fighting climate change is its intact forests, which absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide ever y year. Through photosynthesis, trees absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide to make their own energy. In fact, Adirondack forests absorb more carbon dioxide than Park residents can emit. This means that the Park ser ves as a carbon sponge for the whole state. The protection of this function by state agencies, industr y, and residents alike is critical. Clean, renewable energy will also play an important role in reducing GHG emissions into the atmosphere. Earlier this year, Governor Cuomo announced his Green New Deal, "mandating 100% clean power by 2040." Renewable energy certainly has a place in the Adirondacks, where it can be used to augment the Park's natural climate solutions. Increases in residential and business solar and geothermal installations, along with utilization of existing small-scale hydroelectric plants, show we are off to a good start. The adoption of these technologies at multiple socioeconomic scales, combined with the adoption of energy conser vation practices, will help us tackle GHG emissions within the Park. As time and technology progress, new and affordable renew- able energy technologies will allow us to limit our own GHG emissions even more. The adoption of clean energy over fos- sil fuel and the protection of our large intact forests will help us safeguard the Adirondacks for current and future gener- ations. How You Can Be More Engaged in Climate Change There are a variety of actions you can take! Consider your own carbon footprint: have you tried tracking your emis- sions, do you carpool, do you buy food locally, can you in- stall solar or geothermal technologies? If you're interested in having a community impact, consider encouraging your mu- nicipality to become a Clean Energy Community or Climate Smart Community that encourages the adoption of carbon reducing and energy efficient technologies and/or practices and climate planning through state grants. Looking to have a regional, state, or federal impact? Pro- vide comments on agency rules and policies or legislation presented in Congress or the State Legislature. Talk to your lawmakers; let them know what is important to you. Each scale of impact is critical; pick one or two or three routes and run with it! Climate change is the defining issue of our generation, so for the love of the Adirondacks, let's do something about it!

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