The built environment is responsible for about 42% of carbon emissions worldwide. How do we change that? Climate change affects all of us, but hits disadvantaged communities hardest. Learn the power you as an architect, engineer, client, builder, or part of the construction industry have to make a difference. Hear from six distinguished speakers how you can change your practice and have an impact. Engage in hands-on roundtable discussions. Network with other architects, design professionals, clients, and builders over coffee, beverages and box lunch included in your registration. Learn about new materials and equipment from our sponsors. Enjoy the beautiful 2,000-acre campus of The Cary Institute and tour its buildings which are a lesson in the evolution of sustainable architecture.

SOON IS NOW is festival of climate change and eco themed live performance and art in Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park, a former industrial site and brownfield transformed into an ecologically sustainable park on the Hudson River in Beacon, NY. The performances are curated throughout the park where audiences experience them on a walking tour.

Based on the belief that art can reach the hearts and minds of audiences on this most urgent and overwhelming challenge of our time, SOON IS NOW invites the public into this space of evocative live performance and art to inspire deeper awareness of climate change and its impacts. Local environmental groups will provide education and outreach. There will be creative activities to engage adults and children. Local artists on the program include Edwin Torres, Elizabeth Castagna, Andrew Brehm, Martin Fowler, Alex Waterman, Lori Merhige, Twinkle Burke and Jojo Gonzalez.

Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha invites you to Shred Your Documents for Free!

On Saturday Oct 5th, our office we'll be hosting a free mobile paper shredding event, to help people get rid of their documents in a way that protects both the environment and their sensitive information.

Rain or shine, bring your paper documents to shred them securely. Your documents will be shredded with advanced cross-cut technology that ensures comprehensive and secure document destruction. The shredded materials will then provided to paper mills for recycling and repurposing, avoiding the need for incineration.

National Drive Electric Week, Sep 27-Oct 6, 2024, is a nationwide celebration to raise awareness of the many benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid cars, trucks, motorcycles, and more. Are you considering going electric? Talk to local Hyde Park owners and take a ride in one of their EVs. We are offering rides on Sunday September 29th. Meet us at Coppola's Restaurant parking lot and pick which EV you want to ride in. We will have a Tesla Model Y, a Hyundai Ionic 5, and a Ford Mustang Mach-e. You must make an appointment in advance using the link below. If all appointments are full, just stop by and we can fit you in. National Drive Electric Week is presented by Plug In America, Electric Vehicle Association, Sierra Club, EVHybridNoire, and Drive Electric USA.

Join us for a guided tour of our beautiful 1,000-acre corner of Columbia County. This is a unique opportunity to see how sustainable agriculture and climate resilience can go hand in hand and get a peek at what kind of infrastructure and potential our landscape provides. Whether you're a farmer in search of land, a nature lover, an advocate for sustainability, or simply curious, this outing will offer a chance for connection, learning, and appreciation of our natural world.

How grow techniques help climate resiliency and improve the flower and soil.  Meet NY regenerative growers and their products.

Learn:
Overview of the history of U.S. agriculture
The law and regulations (including homegrow)
How regenerative cultivations and business practices can contribute to local economies, community empowerment, and climate resiliency
How attendees can engage in Earth healing through cannabis

Optional film screening of Tending the Garden after the presentation @ 7pm. We are offering grow classes and elevated entertainment during Sept- Oct. Come meet the crew and learn what we have to offer the community.

Steve Wehr, EV enthusiast and a retired engineer, will dispel myths, discuss how electric vehicles work, and answer your questions about EV ownership and how easily they fit into your life. Afterwards, join Steve and other EV owners for a showing of their vehicles in the back parking lot of the Pleasant Valley Library. Presented by Pleasant Valley Library along with Pleasant Valley Climate Smart.
No RSVP needed.

Join us for a sustainable fashion focused event! There will be a clothing swap, textile recycling, local sustainable vendors, food trucks, kids activities, live music and more!

What is a Repair Café? A Repair Café is a gathering of neighbors helping neighbors mend and repair household items in the spirit of sustainability and mutual aid. The first Repair Café was organized in Amsterdam in 2009 and was brought to New Paltz, NY, by volunteer organizer John Wackman in 2013. His dedication, enthusiasm, and subsequent book, Repair Revolution: How Fixers are Transforming Our Throwaway Culture, inspired others to launch Repair Cafés in their own communities. Are you tired of throwing away your favorite items just because they need a little repair? We invite you to bring clothing, bikes, knives that need sharpening, lamps, and jewelry to be repaired by local volunteer “fixers.” This event is free and open to the public.

The next Green Ossining Repair Cafe will be held Saturday, September 28th from 11am - 3pm at the Joseph Caputo Community Center located at 95 Broadway in Ossining, NY.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact aprilchauuu@gmail.com.

Ever wanted to learn to be Jewelry Repair Coach at a Repair Cafe? Join Suzie Fromer, RCHV Coordinator and Jewelry Repair Coach to learn or hone of the basic jewelry skills needed to do your own repairs, at a cafe or at home. Bring your broken pieces and tools if you have them but additional supplies will be on hand for you to use. 

The next Esopus Repair Cafe will take place on Saturday, Setember 28th from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm at the Ascension Church located at 1585 Rte 9W in West Park, NY.

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer please email esopusrepaircafe@gmail.com.

The next Schuylerville Repair Cafe will be held on Saturday, September 28 from 10am-12noon at the Schuylerville Public Library located at 52 Ferry Street in Schuylerville, NY.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact CJohnson@sals.edu or for more information please visit https://svl.libcal.com/event/12207168.

Hudson Valley Sustainable Fashion Week cordially invites you and your stylish, earth-loving friends to join us for our second annual Organic Runway Show presentation of diverse looks from our collective of local, slow fashion designers on Friday, September 27th, at 4 PM, at Rose Hill Farm in Red Hook, NY.

Our signature organic runway show will begin shortly before sunset and will be breathtaking. We have a great lineup of talented designers and we’re excited to show you what they’ve created.

$25 Gen. Adm., $65 VIP - RSVP required.

In 2019, New York passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, a nation-leading commitment to decarbonize our economy along a science-based timeline and make clean energy benefits accessible to all. Significant progress has been made, including a 2-year policymaking process and deployment of gigawatts of solar and wind energy. But we are not achieving the Act’s ambitious goals. Worse, willful misinformation campaigns have led to widespread confusion. Join this important strategic conversation about how to get the CLCPA implementation fully on track.

Including:

• Dr. Robert Howarth, Cornell University

• Jen Metzger, Ulster County County Executive and former NYS Senator

• Anshul Gupta, New Yorkers for Clean Power

• Simon Strauss, Mid-Hudson Energy Transition

Beyond Zero tells a powerful and hugely hopeful story of Ray Anderson and his company, Interface Carpets, and how they successfully built a business around restoring the Earth. The film will be followed by a short Q&A with architect Bob Fox, who knew and worked with Ray Anderson and Interface.

(2023, Josh and Rebecca Tickell, USA) A free screening of Common Ground followed by a panel discussion with local environmental activists. By fusing journalistic expose with deeply personal stories from those on the front lines of the food movement, Common Ground unveils a dark web of money, power, and politics behind our broken food system. The film reveals how unjust practices forged our current farm system in which farmers of all colors are literally dying to feed us. The film profiles a hopeful and uplifting movement of white, black, and indigenous farmers who are using alternative “regenerative” models of agriculture that could balance the climate, save our health, and stabilize America’s economy – before it’s too late.

Mothers Out Front invites you to a discussion of grassroots organizing around local and state climate initiatives. You don’t have to be an experienced activist to have an impact - this event will share how moms are coming together to use the power of their collective voice to help preserve a livable climate for all children. We’ll share how Mothers Out Front provides resources and support, and you’ll hear directly from the volunteer leaders of our Hudson Valley community teams about their campaigns: including advocacy for electric school buses, trash incinerator phaseouts, and transitioning buildings to clean energy. Take your first step toward advocacy - join us us to learn how you can get involved, and build community with other Hudson Valley neighbors who want a healthy, sustainable future for this and future generations.

The design, construction and operation of buildings accounts for an estimated 35% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Only in the last few decades of the 20th century did practitioners in the building trades begin to view environmental stewardship as a key responsibility. In this century, global climate change has made it clear that an approach that centers the effective use of resources and human health as the only way forward.

In our nearly two decades providing high efficiency and sustainable HVAC we have seen technology and the political will to make green building practices accessible and scalable improve dramatically. We invite you to join us for a discussion exploring the history of green building practices and offer an overview of the approaches we have taken to make net-zero and high-performance buildings more effective and more affordable. This event should serve as both a practical guide on how to approach sustainable design for your home or business and an exploration of the technologies and practices that will enable a swift clean energy transition.

Did you know, over 8 million environmentalists did not vote in the 2020 presidential election and over 13 million skipped the 2022 midterms? This lack of turnout not only impacts election outcomes, but also how much priority electeds give to environment and climate issues. 

Help us change those numbers! Join us for postcarding to low propensity environmentalists, with proven messaging that will help get them to the polls. No prior experience required!

A brief PowerPoint presentation on Ulster County's plan to implement 70% renewable energy Generation by 2030, followed by question and answer discussion with members of the working group, aka the "Brain Trust."

Mid-Hudson Home Energy Advisors & Clean Energy Coaches assemble to talk to YOU. Free virtual drop-in sessions for renters and owners!

Learn about:

• Insulation, heat pumps

• Lowering your energy bills

• Application assistance for NY State

• Home energy upgrades

• Accessing rebates and financing

• EVs, used EVs, and EV charging stations

• Information on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)

• General questions on how to start

• Decarbonizing your home and life

Upon joining the zoom session, you'll be assigned a personal meeting room with an Energy Advisor or Clean Energy Coach.

Many of us strive to align our values with our day-to-day actions. When it comes to saving and investing mindfully, how can we know where to begin and how to measure the impact of our choices?

Join us for a compelling conversation:

Nathan Munits, Founder of Longwave Financial, will discuss how portfolios can balance being both measurable and mindful. Michael Richardson from Third Act Upstate New York will share resources and action steps towards finding climate-friendly bank and credit card solutions.

Questions are encouraged! Light refreshments will be served. Space is limited.

From rural to urban areas, zoning impacts our built environment, how we live, the amount of carbon we emit, and our ability to adapt to a changing climate. In this event, elected officials and experienced urban and community planners will discuss the relationship between land use and climate change. They will share local examples of zoning changes and other strategies that have been implemented to promote climate-friendly and resilient communities.

Panelists include:
Mayor Thomas Roach, City of White Plains
Natalie Quinn, Director of Planning, KARC Planning Consultants
Bartek Starodaj, Director of Housing Initiatives, City of Kingston

Community Skill Share Events are a great way to socialize, learn, and foster community resilience. Come to Mountain Top Library all day for free tech help with our Digital Navigators, or learn about our Archiving Station or Accessibility Corridor. If you are interested in borrowing e-books, we can tell you about getting FREE e-resources with your library card!

Other skills scheduled to be shared include: Local History; Yoga; Personal Style; Beginner Alterations; Mental Health; Nutrition; Japanese Food Tasting; and Mahjong. Part of Meet-Up Monday!The next Saratoga Springs Repair Cafe will take place on Sunday, September 22nd from 1pm - 4pm at the Saratoga Springs Public Library located at 49 Henry Street in Saratoga Springs, NY. For more information or to volunteer, please contact jferriss@sals.edu.

Did you know, over 8 million environmentalists did not vote in the 2020 presidential election and over 13 million skipped the 2022 midterms? This lack of turnout not only impacts election outcomes, but also how much priority electeds give to environment and climate issues. 

Help us change those numbers! Join us for postcarding to low propensity environmentalists, with proven messaging that will help get them to the polls. No prior experience required!

Rhinebeck Villagers, learn about what we all contribute to the Village’s carbon footprint and ideas for how to shrink it, step-by-step!

We will give a presentation with highlights of inspiring projects already underway by fellow community members, businesses, and organizations. We will share resources and information that will help you prioritize—and afford—projects in your own homes. Most of all, we want to hear your feedback on how we can galvanize Village residents to take action by 2030!

This is a public event hosted by the Village government’s Climate Smart Communities Task Force led Trustee Vanessa Bertozzi.

The next Saratoga Springs Repair Cafe will take place on Sunday, September 22nd from 1pm - 4pm at the Saratoga Springs Public Library located at 49 Henry Street in Saratoga Springs, NY. For more information or to volunteer, please contact jferriss@sals.edu.

How grow techniques help climate resiliency and improve the flower and soil.  Meet NY regenerative growers and their products.

Learn:
Overview of the history of U.S. agriculture
The law and regulations (including homegrow)
How regenerative cultivations and business practices can contribute to local economies, community empowerment, and climate resiliency
How attendees can engage in Earth healing through cannabis

Optional film screening of Tending the Garden after the presentation @ 8pm. We are offering grow classes and elevated entertainment during Sept- Oct. Come meet the crew and learn what we have to offer the community.

Join us on Saturday, September 21st as we walk through the arboretum showing off some of our favorite ornamental & edible trees and shrubs. We will discuss what growing conditions make these native plants happy in the Hudson Valley, as well as how to design and incorporate them in your setting. This class will highlight some lesser-known native plants including (but not limited to):

Hop Tree - (Ptelea trifoliata), Bladdernut - (Staphylea trifolia), Alabama Snowwreath - (Neviusia alabamensis), Prickly Ash - (Zanthoxylum americanum), Big Leaf Magnolia - (Magnolia macrophylla) 

$25 per person.