Green Party activist Howie Hawkins will join with Mark Dunlea of the Green Education and Legal Fund on Wednesday April 6 at 2 PM in Syracuse to discuss what New York needs to do to avoid catastrophic climate change.

GELF is helping to coordinate a statewide campaign to get the state to transition to 100% clean energy in NYS by 2030. The Assembly included support for this goal in its budget resolution but it was left out of the final budget.

The state is scheduled to announce in June its plan to require individual utility companies to invest in renewable energy and nuclear power. The Greens support a much quicker timeline and funding support for renewable energy than proposed by the Governor, while they are strongly opposed to his push to subsidize failing upstate nuclear power plants.

The Greens view a rapid transition to 100% clean energy, including offshore wind, as a path to full employment, a healthier environment and lower electric rates. They also want the transition to target those most impacted by climate change, starting with low and moderate income individuals. They view public and community ownership of the energy system as essential to the transition to renewable energy.

The news conference will also address the effort to divest the state pension funds from fossil fuels; the need for a state carbon tax; and the investigation and potential prosecution of Exxon for its deceptions around the risks posed by climate change.