Author: Clean Air Coalition

“We’re in a climate emergency. Tonko needs more urgency!” was the prevailing cry from several leading environmental groups on Earth Day. The crowd rallied for clean air outside of Congressman Paul Tonko’s office on Dove Street.

Faces from Save the Pine Bush, the Clean Air Coalition of Greater Ravena, and the Upper Hudson Green Party chanted and waved signs to encourage the  Energy and Commerce Committee member to amend the legislation touted as the CLEAN [Climate Leadership and Environmental Action] Future Act.

“Unless the provision is changed, the bill will allow for the burning of trash incineration which is no solution to a clean and healthy environment,” said Christine Primomo, member of the CAC.

If you were unable to be there, listen to the MediaSanctuary SoundCloud recording.

TONIGHT, 21 APRIL,  7-8:30PM
SANCTUARY FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA, BY ZOOM
The Sanctuary for Independent Media is hosting a film festival and panels to talk about:  “Local Voices/ Local Media: The Struggle for Clean Air in the Hudson Mohawk Region.“  The Clean Air Coalition’s brilliant filmmaker, Sonja Stark, will be talking with others about her work including the debut of a trailer of local voices concerned about truck traffic and waste incineration Screenings are on-demand, so watch when you can, and register for the panel discussions here.

TOMORROW,  22 APRIL 2021 at 4PM
RALLY AT 19 DOVE ST and WASHINGTON, ALBANY
Congressman Tonko’s office

This CLIMATE rally in front of Congressman Paul Tonko’s office in Albany will urge the Congressman to say YES! to Clean Energy and NO! to fossil fuels and garbage incineration.  There will be speakers, music and artwork with our own Christine Primomo speaking on behalf of the Clean Air Coalition.  Don’t miss it!  Let your voice be heard!

TUESDAY,  27 APRIL  4-7PM
MAIN ST & MC CONNELL AVE, opposite RCS Library, Ravena, NY
Drive-thru Chicken Dinner, only $13! to support the A-Team in Coeymans

The Clean Air Coalition believes that the A-Team running for office in Coeymans offers the best chance to protect Clean Air in Coeymans.  If you are likely to be driving through Coeymans on Tuesday afternoon, please support their campaign by signing up for a delicious $13 chicken dinner and buy a few raffle tickets to win the Pride of Our Community Basket of gifts. 
3 ways to prepay:
(1) Venmo @coeymansdemocrats
(2) http://secure.actblue.com/donate/annualchickenbbq
(3) Send a check to Town of Coeymans Democratic Committee, PO Box 153, Ravena, NY 121143

The Clean Air Coalition of Greater Ravena-Coeymans INVITES YOU TO A DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR TOWN…

In the past year, the Coeymans Town Board has approved new laws and drafted a Town Comprehensive Plan that could turn Coeymans into the Northeast’s largest dump and Garbage Burning Center.  More trucks, more pollution, more people leaving town.

Is this what YOU want for Coeymans?

Is this what YOU want for your Family?

Is this what YOU want for your Schools?

Is this what YOU want for your FUTURE?

We are inviting you to join a conversation with other trusted town residents where we can share with each other:

What was Coeymans like in the PAST?

What is Coeymans  like NOW?

What do WE want Coeymans to be in the FUTURE?

This is an historic town on an historic river.  We have unique cultural, social, and environmental assets that should be celebrated & restored! 

We are inviting small groups of people who live in, work in, and care about Coeymans to join us for private Round Table conversations:

Our first Coeymans Round Table will be held by Zoom on April 29, 2021 from  7-8 pm.  If you want to come, please get in touch with: 

Barbara Heinzen: [email protected]

The Clean Air Coalition along with Beyond Plastics and GAIA (The Global Alliance for Incineration Alternatives) are putting the word out to call Representative Paul Tonko on March 31st – a Day of Action for a zero-waste future.

Representative Tonko is the only one who can help to remove wording in the CLEAN Future Act that allows dirty incineration methods to continue. Burning waste pollutes our air, water, soil, and bodies and speeds up the climate crisis – there’s nothing ‘clean’ about it. Clean energy does not include a smokestack! CLEAN is short for Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation.

TAKE ACTION WITH THESE STEPS

1. Call the Congressman and tell him to reject incineration as a source of clean energy and remove it from the CLEAN Future Act.
2. Reach out to Rep. Tonko via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram using the text below or write your own. You can simply retweet Beyond Plastics’ tweet or write your own – I’m calling on @RepPaulTonko to go to #BeyondRecovery and remove all types of incineration from the #CLEANFuture Act. Waste-to-energy is not “repurposing,” it creates new sources of air pollution and toxic ash dumps. #noburn #cleanenergy
3. Write a Letter to the Editor of your local paper and make sure to specifically mention Congressmember Paul Tonko. Elected officials and their staff read news clippings with their names in them every day so a letter to the editor is an effective way to bring attention to the problems with waste incineration. Follow these tips to write a letter that will get published.

RESOURCES

● CLEAN Future Act text.

● Fracked plastics factoids at your fingertips.

● Tips for writing an effective letter to the editor.

● Guide to organizing an effective constituent meeting with your members of Congress

This important information was shared by Judith Enck of Beyond Plastics and Tracy Frisch, Chair, Clean Air Action Network of Glens Falls in response to Congressman Tonko’s provision in the “Clean Future Act” allowing residential trash burning to be considered a “clean electricity source”.  It’s not and we must let him know!  Please share this email with your friends and lists.  

Here’s what you can do to ask Rep. Tonko to remove that provision in his bill:
1)  If you are an individual, call Rep. Tonko’s office at 518-843-3400 or 202-225-5076; or submit a written comment at TONKO CONTACT.  You can say and/or write the following:

Re: Amendment Requested to the CLEAN Future A

Dear Representative Tonko:
I appreciate your efforts in the CLEAN Future Act to begin addressing the climate crisis. This bill includes many strong waste provisions that will help address the plastic pollution crisis. Specifically, I applaud the provisions pausing the permitting of new plastics production facilities, requiring essential environmental justice protections, and supporting a national bottle bill. However, I respectfully urge you to remove the provision detailed in Title II, Subtitle A on page 39 of the bill, which would allow incineration of post-consumer municipal waste to be considered a clean electricity source.

2)  If you are an organization,  SIGN ONTO THIS group organizational letter:  

3)  Attend the virtual event below on Wed. March 31 at 6:45 pm with the  Saratoga League of Women Voters, Congressman Tonko, and student climate activists. The program is entitled “CLIMATE CHANGE – Solutions from the National to the Local Level.” 

Please register, attend and speak out about false climate solutions, including the incineration of recyclables, garbage, waste tires, or anything else. 
REGISTER HERE

Thank you!