KINGSTON – In the midst of a sweltering heat wave, Ulster County legislators, during their monthly legislative session on Tuesday, referred back to committee two late resolutions that would've created a Climate Smart Committee charged with investigating and adopting practices, at the county level, to reduce threats of greenhouse gas emissions.

Noting that the full legislature had only received the resolution the same night they were expected to vote on it, Minority Leader Jeannette Provenzano said her caucus lacked the time to fully review the resolutions and was not ready to vote on them.

Sponsored by Legislator Laura Petit, R-Esopus, Resolution 174 sought to rename the county's Global Warming Committee to the Climate Smart Committee, a name that Petit feels more accurately reflects the current language in the scientific community regarding climate change and one that carries with it the support of the New York State Department of Conservation, DEC.

The resolution claims that Ulster County understands the "real and increasing threat" that climate change poses to the local and global environment and acknowledges that the condition is "primarily exacerbated" by the current burning of fossil fuels.

Further, it charges the Climate Smart Committee with investigating methods to address and reduce such threats and argues that there are copious opportunities to take a "comprehensive approach to implement policies and programs" in an effort to "reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiencies, promote local job growth, increase economic activity and resiliency, improve quality of life, and promote social justice."

During public comment period, executive director of Sustainable Hudson Valley, Melissa Everett, urged the legislature to pass the legislation. "We need this pledge because the scientific consensus has become overwhelming that we really do have a human-induced climate problem and that the global-climate system is spinning out of control."

Everett told the legislature that the county is becoming "a hub of green economic development," but that it's only going to happen if the county creates the production capacity and the markets for the products and services. "Ulster County can be environmentally proactive, economically proactive and plugged into the world in a way that can only benefit," she said.

Petit concurs. "The county has a long-standing interest in attracting and retaining innovative businesses and is in a position to serve as an example for surrounding municipalities and all of New York State by setting a precedent for reducing greenhouse gas, GHG, emission sources," she said.

The language in Petit's resolution is modeled on the DEC's Climate Smart Communities Pledge. The state entity is urging local governments, who either "directly control or strongly influence" most of the state's GHG emission sources, which include emissions from buildings, transportation, land use and community services, to adopt the pledge and work to reduce these heat-trapping emissions. The pledge acknowledges that local municipalities are best suited "to assess their own vulnerability to a changing climate and to initiate adaption measures when changes cannot be avoided."

The ten elements of the pledge include:

1. Pledge to Combat Climate Change by Becoming a Climate Smart Community
Set goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to predicted climatic changes.

2. Set Goals, Inventory Emissions, Move to Action
Gather data about local GHG emission sources. Inventory emissions. Establish baselines. Develop quantifiable interim GHG emission targets. Propose emission reduction schedule and financing strategy. Develop a Local Action Plan for reducing emissions.

3. Decrease Energy Demand for Local Government Operations
Adopt the state's goal of reducing electricity use by 15 percent from projected levels no later than 2015. Take into account existing public facilities, new public buildings, community infrastructure, vehicle fleet and commuting. Improve waste management in government operations.

4. Encourage Renewable Energy for Local Government Operations
Set a goal to maximize the use of public energy generated from renewable sources (e.g. solar, wind, small hydro).

5. Realize Benefits of Recycling and Other Climate Smart Solid Waste Management Practices
Promote reuse and ensure access to comprehensive recycling. Adopt a green purchasing program.

6. Promote Climate Protection Through Community Land Use Tools
Keep development low-carbon-intensity and resilient to climatic change. Update land use policies, building codes, community plans in ways that reduce sprawl, minimize development in floodplains, and protect forests.

7. Plan for Adaptation to Unavoidable Climate Change
Identify risks to government facilities and functions (e.g. water supply, sewers), and factor into long-term investments and decision-making. Develop a Climate Adaptation Plan, with priority to the most vulnerable areas.

8. Support a Green Innovation Economy
Incorporate climate protection and sustainability into economic development plans. Encourage work force training and public education for energy efficiency and renewable energy.

9. Inform and Inspire the Public
Lead by example. Publicize local government commitment to reducing energy use, saving tax dollars, and adapting to changing conditions. Encourage citizens to follow suit.

10. Commit to an Evolving Process
Be willing to consider new ideas and adapt existing approaches. Compare successes and cooperate with neighboring communities.