by Joanna Lasher, Chair of the LWVSC Environment Committee

What do we do? We are primarily an educational committee.

We do four articles a year for the League quarterly Newsletter. (They can be seen on this League website blog).

We virtually attend a Capitol District Four League Environment Committee which includes Saratoga, Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties. This Committee keeps track of environmental legislation in the state legislature and suggests ways we can participate in advocacy.

We plan educational programs, primarily related to coping with climate change and encourage groups in the community to use sustainable practices. This year this Committee has co-sponsored two Zoom educational programs. Saratoga, co-sponsoring with the other Leagues and LWV New York State, took the lead on a program titled “Carbon Neutral NY: Where are we now?” that assessed progress in New York State’s climate efforts. Our speaker was Blair Horner, Executive Director of New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). See the event video and Power Point slideshow.

Because the League has a trusted and longstanding reputation for being non partisan, we are able to recruit knowledgeable leaders to donate their time and expertise to take advantage of our platform and advertising to educate the community.