Climate change strike in Auburn calls for action - The Citizen

Climate change strike in Auburn calls for action

AUBURN — Merrie Elisens is deeply concerned about how actions taken in the present could affect her children and grandchildren.

Elisens was one of more 30 people who attended a climate change strike at the steps of Memorial City Hall in Auburn Friday afternoon. The event, organized by Cayuga Climate Action, urged people to contact their representatives to enact meaningful action on climate change while highlighting recent positive local environmental efforts. State Sen. Rachel May and local officials were in attendance.

After the event ended, Elisens told The Citizen she feels "we're on a collision course for doomsday."

"I think it's really a terrible thing, that our generation is bequeathing this terrible problem to our children and grandchildren," she said. "We're causing problems, we need to solve them."

Elisens also emphasized the importance of cutting down on fossil fuel use and using electric appliances. Banners displayed by people at the strike included sayings like "Climate justice, racial justice, justice for all." Others referenced the climate group and the Black Lives Matter movement, or simply bore images of the Earth.

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At the beginning of the strike, Dominic Gambaiani, co-founder of Cayuga Climate Action and an organizer of the event, thanked those in attendance.

Since the strike was held in conjunction with similar events all over the planet organized by climate action group Fridays for Future, Gambaiani said, "Thousands and thousands are striking today and throughout the weekend to demand more from governments in regards to climate action as well as to put pressure on all of our elected officials."

Mentioning hurricanes, floods, wildfires and the subsequent "smoke-filled skies" over the summer, Gambaiani said changes have happened "very quickly" over the last five years.

On the City Hall steps, May said she had reasons for hope about climate change efforts, including all of the people at the event, "the great work that you're doing and knowing that you care," she said. She also mentioned New York state's Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act, which she called "one of the strongest climate bills in the country."

May told the crowd about more legislation, like the state law that will require most buildings to use electric heat and appliances rather than fossil fuels starting in 2026.

"There are a lot of ways that the change is happening and it's happening at the kind of scale we need it to happen at. But we need you keep putting the pressure on us. We need you to keep talking about climate justice because even though that is in our climate law here in New York state, that doesn't mean that it's easy to implement," May said.

Also speaking at the event were Lucy Janssen, owner of the downtown Auburn business Reuse Refuse, and City Councilor Terry Cuddy. Cuddy told the crowd the city is "doing everything it can" to address climate issues. He noted the city was informed by the U.S. Forest Service on Thursday that Auburn has been awarded a $945,000 grant to improve the city's urban forest.

Cuddy also talked about city efforts toward ensuring the city has clean drinking water, saying the council passed a resolution Thursday night requesting that Gov. Kathy Hochul and state and federal representatives develop, implement and fund a total maximum daily load comprehensive watershed plan for Owasco Lake. Cuddy noted that council has asked for the plan for six years, the lake requires such a plan by law and the Owasco Town Council also passed a resolution requesting the state move forward on the plan.

"New York state now knows that they've been failing the people of Auburn, the town of Owasco and anyone who drinks water from Owasco Lake because they are not following the law," Cuddy said.

Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.