Sustainable Ithaca

Credited to Tim Ashmore from the Ithaca Journal: ITHACA — After two days of discussion and planning, Carlos Rymer and a group of Cornell students created a coalition of students from throughout the state that hope to push New York into becoming a leader on climate change.

The Student Sustainability Coalition drew students from the University of Rochester, Skidmore College, Clarkson University, the University at Buffalo and others to Cornell to meet and develop a coalition that will focus on pressuring lawmakers in Albany to pass legislation that restricts state carbon emissions.

Rymer is part of the Sierra Student Coalition — a group focused on national climate change — and used resources from the group to reach out to like-minded students in New York. Roughly 70 students showed up.

“Lots of people were surprised we organized a coalition in two days that feels really cohesive,” Rymer said.The Student Sustainability Coalition’s short-term goal is to lobby in favor of legislation currently in the state Assembly and Senate that would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Lowering carbon emissions so drastically would bring emissions to levels comparable to 1990.

The climate summit was sponsored by KyotoNOW!, a group that organized a national youth climate summit called Power Shift in Maryland earlier in the month that drew more than 6,000.

“We know that we need 80 percent reductions below 1990 levels by 2050 and we also need green collar jobs to strengthen New York’s economy,” said KyotoNOW! President Katherine McEachern. “These are safe, clean, good-paying jobs that we need in Upstate New York.”

On Feb. 12, the coalition hopes to bring 500 students to Albany in a show of support for the bill. Rymer said if only a few students from each of New York’s 355 colleges and universities come, the coalition would have no problem reaching its goal. He added that the coalition will attempt to lobby lawmakers that are potential swing votes.

“It’s about time that New York joined California, New Jersey and other states in making a mandatory commitment to nearly eliminating greenhouse gas emissions in the state by mid-century.”

Sustainable Tompkins, Energy Independent Caroline and the Climate Change Action Group of Central New York all took part in the summit.