sustainability

'Drone-based initiative will plug abandoned oil wells, fight climate change' and more

What's going on with sustainability January 21 to 27

Posted 1/20/21

What's going on with sustainability January 21 to 27

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sustainability

'Drone-based initiative will plug abandoned oil wells, fight climate change' and more

What's going on with sustainability January 21 to 27

Posted

Drone-based initiative will plug abandoned oil wells, fight climate change

NEW YORK — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced that New York is deploying state-of-the-art drone technology to help reduce climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas infrastructure. DEC and NYSERDA are using aerial surveillance equipment to locate and plug abandoned, decades-old oil and gas wells that leak methane into the environment. Ton for ton, methane is many times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas and is second only to carbon dioxide in its overall contribution to climate change. Representing almost 10 percent of the state’s annual greenhouse gas emissions, methane reduction is a key piece of New York’s nation-leading policies to address the risks from climate change.

To support this effort, NYSERDA will invest up to $400,000 in custom-built drone equipment and instrumentation. Although there is no definitive estimate of the total number of orphan oil and gas wells in New York, DEC has located and assessed more than 2,000 of these wells to date by talking to local landowners, conducting research, and on-site ground searches. DEC’s work on orphan wells in New York indicates that thousands of additional abandoned wells may continue to emit methane gas into the atmosphere. 

NYS Senate passes ‘Environmental Bill of Rights,’ guarantees New Yorkers the right to clean air and water

ALBANY, NY — On January 12, the New York State Senate again passed an amendment to the New York State Constitution that will give all New Yorkers the right to clean air and water (S.528). The amendment will add the following to Article 1 of the State Constitution: “Each person shall have a right to clean air and water, and a healthful environment.”  It must pass both houses of the legislature in two consecutive sessions before being voted on by the general public. The measure received first passage from both the Senate and Assembly in 2019 and now only awaits passage by the Assembly before going before voters this November.

In practice, this amendment will require the government to consider the environment and its citizens’ relationship to it in all decision making. It also creates a powerful tool for combating environmental racism and rebalancing the inequities communities of color and low-income communities face from disproportionate exposure to pollution and other environment-harming practices.

NYS Senate passes ‘Environmental Bill of Rights,’ guarantees New Yorkers the right to clean air and water

ALBANY, NY — On January 12, the New York State Senate again passed an amendment to the New York State Constitution that will give all New Yorkers the right to clean air and water (S.528). The amendment will add the following to Article 1 of the State Constitution: “Each person shall have a right to clean air and water, and a healthful environment.”  It must pass both houses of the legislature in two consecutive sessions before being voted on by the general public. The measure received first passage from both the Senate and Assembly in 2019 and now only awaits passage by the Assembly before going before voters this November.

In practice, this amendment will require the government to consider the environment and its citizens’ relationship to it in all decision making. It also creates a powerful tool for combating environmental racism and rebalancing the inequities communities of color and low-income communities face from disproportionate exposure to pollution and other environment-harming practices.

Community solar farm complete and live

FALLSBURG, NY — Construction on Delaware River Solar’s Rosemond Road community solar farm is complete and live. Open space is available for NYSEG customers to sign up and save.

Residents of the NYSEG region can save money with no cost, no-risk community solar subscriptions through Delaware River Solar as part of New York State’s Renewal Energy Program. Community solar allows residents to enroll in a local, shared solar farm and save on their electric bills without paying any upfront costs or making any changes to their property.

Delaware River Solar also offers community solar discounts to customers in the RGE, Central Hudson, and Orange/Rockland electric utility territories.

For more information, or to reserve your spot and sign up, visit www.delawareriversolar.com or call 845/414-3491.

Energy Research and Development Authority, environmental bill of rights, Department of Environmental Conservation

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