Our local food supply: the people, the natural resources and the economics are under intense pressure to survive.

This short video by Saratoga Springs resident, Sarah Pedinotti and her band, tells the story quite well.

Farmony (Harvest Fest trailer) from DreamBig Media Group on Vimeo.

We had  agraet turn out at this event.

Thank you to Empire State College and Jerry Jenkins for working with us on this important topic.

What: Community Meeting on Climate Change in the Adirondacks with author Jerry Jenkins.

When: Tuesday Feb. 22, 2011
6:30 pm Refreshments and Networking
7:00 Lecture followed by Q & A

Where: SUNY Empire State College, 2 Union Ave, Room 126, Saratoga Springs, NY

Who: Open to the public, hosted by Sustainable Saratoga

Cost: Free

Why: Jerry Jenkins is a well-known ecologist and researcher for the Wildlife Conservation Society. He has authored numerous books on the Adirondacks including two books on climate change.  His first book, “The Adirondack Atlas(Syracuse University Press, 2004), is a collection of maps and stories, and considers issues of regional significance such as climate change, acid rain, survival of farms and commercial forests, tourism and recreational use, and patterns of development.

His latest book, “Climate Change in the Adirondacks: The Path to Sustainability” (Published in Association with the Wildlife Conservation Society, Comstock Publishing Associates – May 1, 2010) provides a comprehensive look at the effects of climate change in the forest-rich upstate New York parklands region as well as sustainable solutions for reducing carbon emissions for the region. For background on the book, please go to  http://www.wcs.org/press/press-releases/climate-change-in-the-adirondacks-book.aspx.

Come learn about these critical issues affecting our region, and what local groups and institutions are doing to work towards solutions.  The event is free and open to the public.  RSVP (requested, though not required), to Susan McFadden, special events coordinator, e-mail: susan.mcfadden@esc.edu or 518-587-2100, ext.  2949.

Parking is located in the back of the building, accessible from Circular Street or on Union Avenue.  Carpooling, walking or taking the bus (Rte. 473 – stop at Union and Circular) is highly encouraged.

For additional information or in case of inclement weather go to www.esc.edu.

The Sustainable Saratoga community meetings are free of charge and open to the public. Please join in the discussion and help build a happier, healthier and more Sustainable Saratoga community!

The Biggest Losers Win
A Sustainable Saratoga Campaign to Promote Energy Efficiency and Conservation.

(Saratoga Springs, NY)  — The local Biggest Loser Energy Challenge sponsored by Sustainable Saratoga came to a close last week as a group of Saratoga Springs neighbors representing ten households sallied forth in sub-zero weather to focus an infrared camera on their houses in the last educational activity of the contest. As participants each looked at their houses on the camera screen, tell-tale glowing lights signified heat escaping into the cold night air. The infrared camera visually demonstrated where heat losses were the greatest, and gave opposing team members ammunition for teasing owners about missed opportunities to make their homes more energy efficient.

 After the chilly outing, participants compared the final tally of their energy consumption over a six-month period to see which group had managed to cut energy use and waste by the largest percentage over the same period last year. Although both teams were happy “losers”, one group did reduce more than the other.

The participants encountered some surprises.  First, it was interesting to see energy use trends over time as there were unexpected spikes and dips in therms (gas) and kilowatts (electricity). Several people who halved their electricity usage speculated in hindsight how they did it. One had unplugged her clothes dryer and used line drying in her basement instead. Another had purchased a new refrigerator that replaced a 30 year old one, exchanged an old cable box for a new one and put the flat screen TV on a plug that could be turned off in order to prevent the significant stand-by energy these modern TVs burn, as well as the hole in our pockets.

Team member and host of the final meeting for the group, Diane Denny was very pleased with the results. “It was extremely informative to see how we all use electricity and discuss how to save energy.  In fact, as a teacher, I want to share the final results to my seventh graders and discuss how we all can do a better job of saving energy”.

The contest was intended to educate the neighbors and the general public about energy conservation and efficiency measures available through state and federal incentives.  The group kicked-off their effort with a press conference that showed typical air leaks in a home by using a blower door test. The Biggest Loser members and the press were stunned at the number of large and small air leaks the home had, many of which are easily remedied through simple weatherization measures like weather stripping, foam around outdoor faucets, and caulking air leaks.

The Public Service Commission, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and National Grid are working to help consumers to conserve energy through incentive programs and grants.  Tina Carton, the Capital Saratoga Energy $mart Coordinator an independent contractor for NYSERDA, played a key role educating the group about energy conservation throughout the six months.  She provided members with Kill A Watt® meters so we could see how much energy in real time different household devices use—hair dryers are energy hogs, for example. She gave us compact fluorescent light bulbs and power points on the many, many, many (yes many) ways we can avoid losing money on energy that we pay for, but waste. Most importantly, she gave us all information on how we can use the current incentives offered by NYSERDA and National Grid to get free or reduced price energy audits of our homes and tax breaks on insulation.

In addition to providing an excuse for neighbors to have jolly gatherings, the contest left a deep impression on the participants in terms of how much more we can all do. From large things like insulating the attic- one of the most important energy measures in a house, to smaller things like caulking and air sealing, saving energy is good for our pocketbooks, our environment and it can be a fun challenge. For energy tips and more about the contest go to http://www.sustainablesaratoga.com/initiatives/biggest-looser-energy-challenge/

Sustainable Saratoga is committed to facilitating the creation of a new path for our future. We envision a future Saratoga Springs where gardens are planted in every yard, regional farms thrive, people feel encouraged to leave their car behind, pedestrians and cyclists feel safe on the roads, where business choose to locate and our building codes and urban planning paradigms promote long term sustainability. www.sustainablesaratoga.com

Sustainable Saratoga Organizational Development News

Sustainable Saratoga has recently achieved New York State not-for profit status!  

We are on our way to obtaining a federal 501 (c) 3 status and are now accepting donations toward this 2011 goal.   

Some of Sustainable Saratoga expenses include: Website hosting and a Post Office Box

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We recently received a very  generous $500 donation from an active member, Amy Durland.

Thank you , Amy!!

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We will soon have a Pay Pal donation button on our website. In the meantime if you’d like to join in the effort to help us raise funds, you can mail a check to us at P.O. Box 3271. Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Help strengthen town/gown bonds at Mobility Master Plan discussion Monday night at Skidmore  

As you know, walking, biking, public buses and other forms of transport which do not rely on the one-passenger car are cornerstones of creating a cohesive, energy-efficient Saratoga – and a key to our success in developing a sustainable community.

To help address these issues, students taking Skidmore’s Sustainable Mobility Solutions class have developed a master plan for pedestrians and cyclists. They are inviting the public to hear about the plan and discuss local mobility issues at Gannett Auditorium on Monday night (full details are below). 

To help strengthen town/gown bonds in the mobility area – and in case they’ve developed any solutions that Sustainable Saratoga might be able to help implement - we encourage our members and interested friends to attend the presentation. A contact e-mail address is included below should you have any questions about the program. Hope to see you there Monday night!   Cathi Anne Cameron Transportation and Mobility Committee Co-chair

Dear Sustainable Saratoga:

Skidmore College’s ES-351 Sustainable Mobility Solutions class, under the direction of Jeff Olson, would like to invite you to a presentation and discussion about mobility at Skidmore on Monday, December 6^th, at 8pm in Gannett Auditorium.

For the past several weeks, our class has been developing a Master Plan for Pedestrians and Cyclists on campus. This document, which will be completed by the end of the semester, will address issues of sustainability, health, safety, and feasibility for various mobility projects around campus. In order to share this information with the community, we plan to present our findings and visions with students, faculty, staff, and Saratoga residents at a public presentation on Monday, December 6th, at 8pm in Gannett Auditorium. Our hope is to inspire and fuel future transportation initiatives.

Your attendance and input at this evening presentation would be greatly appreciated in helping us develop strategies for a more sustainable campus.

Please feel free to contact us at skidmoremobility@gmail.com for more information about our project. We look forward to seeing you on the 6^th!

Sincerely,

The Sustainable Mobility Solutions Class, Fall 2010

Alex and David answered questions and helped a large number of Saratoga County residents understand the benefits of Sustainability at the 2010 Healthy Living Expo. Celeste Caruso and Jonathan Green also stopped by to connect with our neighbors. Sustainable Saratoga shared a booth with Capital District Local First and the Local Living Guide.

The Healthy Living Expo was held at the National Museum of Dance on Broadway in Saratoga Springs on Nov. 14, 2010. A big thank you to Lisa for organizing this excellent event.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth.

Saratoga Springs community members joined together for an in depth discussion of affordable housing and urban development on Oct. 26th, 2010.

Approximately 40 community members met at the Saratoga Springs Music Hall to listen to and ask questions of the two presenters and connect with each other.

More details will be published here soon.

You can watch the full video of the event by clicking here.

October 26th Sustainable Saratoga Community Meeting
What: Focus on Housing and Urban Planning
When: 7pm
Where: 3rd floor of Saratoga Springs City Hall (Music Hall)
Cost: Free
More info: 518-320-2613

Ten families in Saratoga Springs are participating in a 6 – month energy reduction challenge.
The families recently gathered for a media event to share progress and helpful energy saving tips with our community.

Here is a short video summary of the media event. Many thanks to Wellhome for providing the energy efficiency audit services.

Here is a simple video with some energy saving tips you can implement today.

Sustainable Saratoga is losing it!  Local ‘Biggest Loser’ energy conservation challenge is subject of Tuesday evening, September 28 meeting at Empire State College

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For program information, contact:

Sustainable Saratoga Energy Efficiency and Resources Committee Chair Jeff DeWeese at

(518) 669-6301 deweesej@nycap.rr.com

For general Sustainable Saratoga information, contact:

David Levesque at (518) 320-2613 david@wordofomobile.com

View PDF of this Press Release Click Here.

September 13, 2010

Sustainable Saratoga’s monthly community-wide public meetings are back. The focus of the Tuesday, September 28^th, evening event will be Energy Efficiency in our Community.  In 2008, the per person average energy consumption for New York State residents was 207 million BTUs. Additionally, each resident was responsible for 11.1 tons of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gases. This equates to spending $72 billion annually on energy, 51% of which leaves New York State. Representatives from the residential, commercial, and local government sectors will share information on how we can improve these numbers through energy efficiency in buildings.

Presenters include Tina Carton, Capital/Saratoga Energy$mart Coordinator for Courtney Strong Inc., a Kingston, N.Y.-based consulting firm, who will share tips on energy saving measures that will help save money and discuss incentive programs available through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).  Carton will also highlight the initial results from Sustainable Saratoga’s “Biggest Loser Challenge” – a competition to see which side of a local neighborhood can lose the most energy.  A local college representative will highlight the energy efficiency measures and savings achieved through existing commercial programs.  Christopher Kalwara, Building Efficiency Account Executive from Johnson Controls, will highlight energy saving measures recently implemented in public buildings in Saratoga Springs, which save our city about $200,000 per year.

The third monthly ‘weigh in’ of the Biggest Loser competition and energy saving demonstrations will take place Tuesday morning at one of the “Biggest Loser” participant’s homes.

After the evening’s Energy Efficiency presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to meet with Sustainable Saratoga’s committees and hear about their plans for the upcoming year. Our committees include:

  Energy Efficiency and Resources

  Farming, Open Space, and Natural Resources

  Housing and Urban Planning

  Local Economy

  Media and Communications

  Transportation and Mobility

  Waste, Composting, and Recycling

The event is free of charge and open to the public. Please join us Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at Empire State College, 113 West Ave, Rm 143 Saratoga Springs (near the corner of West Ave & Washington – parking is behind and to the side of the building; please enter around the back of the building). Get a head start on energy savings for the upcoming heating season, and help make Saratoga Sustainable!

Below are some highlights and action items from our June 22, 2010 Resilient Local Economy Dialogue in Saratoga Springs.

Local Resilient Economy Discussion at Sustainable Saratoga from David Levesque on Vimeo.

What can we do as a Local Economy Subcommittee?

What are things that are local but perhaps overlooked?

1. Support Regional Goods – Is there something manufactured in Albany that we could support
2. Local Bookstore (Tim has mentioned there is a great one in Schuylerville, again, could support #4, awareness)
3. The Chamber supports chains and big box stores, not just local business, but all business. Awareness campaign? How do other Chambers deal with the support for local businesses in light of non-local business presences?

Description:

Some of the questions asked by our Saratoga Springs community during the event include.

• What is a local economy?
• Where are they successful and why?
• How do we nurture one in Saratoga County?
• What is local?
• What is an economy?
• What is sustainable?
• How can the rights of property owners, which are implied in the Constitution, be balanced with the “common good”?
• Are debt-based economies unsustainable by definition?  What is the debt/income ratio of the Population of Saratoga County and how does that compare to other municipalities in NY?
• How would you go about quantifying the well-being of our community? our region? our nation?  our planet?  (alternatives to throughput metrics like GDP)
• Michael Shuman, in his book “Going Local” posits that Import Replacement is a key part of a local economy.  What are we currently importing that we can grow, extract, generate, or build right here?
• What projects can our committee focus on to get results?
• Can you comment on the value of local currencies?
• What happens to Saratoga’s economy if there is no racing industry? What happens if tourism drops off when the Happy Motoring fiesta is over?
• Should we be measuring something else besides money to determine our well being?
• Where do the arts fit into the local economy, and how do we quantify their value to our well-being?
• Modern economics seems fixated on quantification of the amount of money flowing through global markets.  That’s like studying only the human circulatory system and claiming to understand human biology.  Can economists change their perception to include other systems currently categorized as externalities (human intellegence, ecosystem services, natural splendor)?
• Can we estimate the percentage of transactions that occur on a local basis as opposed to those which occur across our local area? (both our spending out of area and out of area people spending here)?
• Do you think that microlending (a la Grameen Bank of founded by Mohammad Yunus) or community-owned banks could help members of the community get a leg up on starting a business or retrofitting their home for energy efficiency?
• What can we each do as individuals and as Sustainable Saratoga?  (move money from transnational banking/investment casinos to locally-owned/operated banks?)
• What is the profit of our region? Overall income minus expenses.

Thank you for reading this information. Please feel free to comment below. We will have updates. You can subscribe to our email newsletter in the upper left hand corner of this page.

Have a great day!