The Town of Kirkland and the Village of Clinton (located within the Town) in Oneida County, New York, have both adopted the New York State Climate Smart Communities pledge.
As described on the NYS website, “Climate Smart Communities (CSC) is a New York State program that helps local governments take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. The program offers free technical assistance, grants, and rebates for electric vehicles.”
Here is a PowerPoint with a presentation made to the Kirkland Town Board in January of 2020 describing the Climate Smart Communities program in more detail.
The Village was the first to adopt the New York State Climate Smart Communities pledge and is now a registered community within this program. The Village resolution was passed in March 2020.
The Town of Kirkland also became a registered CSC community with a resolution adopted in May 2020.
After registering, there are a variety of actions the Village and the Town can take, each of which will be awarded a certain number of points. As more actions are completed, a community can achieve a bronze, silver, or gold level of certification. The list of possible actions is shown here (PDF). Since the Village is within the Town, there is potential synergy in coordinating the implementation of the various CSC actions. Actions currently completed or planned are shown here.
One of the actions is to create a task force to help and advise in carrying out the other actions. A joint, common, all-volunteer task force for both the Village and the Town has been created and has been recognized both by the Village and by the Town. The Coordinator of this task force is Alma Lowry.
As of January 31, 2024, the application for the Village has been formally submitted. After review by the state, we anticipate an announcement in May as to whether the bronze level has been achieved. Currently, the Town is still working to complete its own application.
The Village’s contact for the CSC program is Trustee Joanne Gilles. The Town’s contact is Deputy Supervisor Garry Colarusso with a secondary contact of Kathryn Arcuri, the Supervisor’s Secretary. You may contact the task force directly at ClintonKirklandCSCTaskForce@gmail.com.
The Oriskany Creek Watershed Commission
A related organization is the Oriskany Creek Watershed Commission. This creek and its tributaries encompass a larger geographical region, including both the Town and the Village. The Commission holds regular meetings, typically on the 3rd Thursday of each month.
What can we do as individuals or businesses?
Although the actions of our community as a whole make us a “Climate Smart Community,” individual actions can have a big impact.
Here’s a Feb. 2023 article from the NY Times on How to Save Money and Fight Climate Change. “The new climate and tax law can bring big savings for anyone looking to buy an electric car or make their home more energy efficient.” A similar article from the Washington Post is here.
A useful list of suggestions on how to “Reduce Your Footprint” is available here from NYSERDA.
National Grid has a program called Drive Green to provide information on buying, leasing, and maintaining electric cars, including possible tax credits. They also sponsor a series of webinars that you can listen to live or after the fact. Or be even greener, and ride or donate a bike!
Heat Smart Mohawk Valley is a community-based education and group purchasing program for clean heating and cooling technologies, including geothermal.
Cornell has a Climate Smart Farming Program intended to help farmers manage climate risk. Habitat gardening can promote environmentally friendly, sound landscaping to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration, and establishment of native plant communities.
Recycling our waste can have a significant impact. Here is a description of the Village’s garbage collection and trash pick-up policy, including recycling guidelines. The Town’s guidance is here and costs are detailed here. This site describes the New York State food waste regulations. Also, see this information on a survey (for Village residents only) about a possible pilot project for food waste pickup.
LEAP
If you’re a high school student, consider joining the Clinton High School’s LEAP (Leaders for Environmental Awareness and Protection) Club. Or anyone can follow their Instagram account at @ccsleap.