Conversations, Workshops and Rallies: A Guide to Cornell’s First Climate Action Week
By Eric Reilly, Cornell Daily Sun
Climate Action Week wraps up on Friday, when Climate Justice Cornell will launch its Climate, Jobs and Justice campaign at a rally in Thompson Park at 5 p.m. in support of a new bill package pushed by New York Renews, a state-wide coalition of over 300 environmental, labor, justice and community groups. Consisting of five current state senate bills, the Climate, Jobs and Justice package would support sustainability projects across the state, including here in Ithaca.
“Ithaca has a myriad of issues that need to be addressed in order to achieve the goals laid out in the Ithaca Green New Deal,” said Laila Reimanis, CJC social media chair. “Ithaca needs to reduce emissions from existing buildings, and it has a profound need to reduce emissions from the transportation sector.”
Ithaca also faces issues around environmental justice; based on data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, Ithaca has the worst income inequality of any city in New York. At Friday’s rally, CJC will gather with community members around a commitment to make Ithaca a more equitable place.