NYC Sierra Club's Sustainability Series: 09-09-21

Sierra Club New York City Group’s Sustainability Series is pleased to present this webinar on Why We Want New York State Renewably Generated Energy and Not Import Energy from Canadian Mega Dams that destroy the lives of Indigenous Peoples and eco-systems with all their life. Meeting Speakers:  I. GLOBAL OVERVIEW of MEGA DAMS ~ GARY WOCKNER- Global Environmentalist; Activist; Scientist; Writer; Environmental Whistleblower. II. AN INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVE ~ WILL NICHOLLS - Cree from Mistissiwi; Co-Founder and Editor in Chief, "The Nation," a Montreal-based Publication; The Cree Still Protect Their Land. III. The HUDSON RIVER ~ GEORGE JACKMAN - Aquatic Ecologist; Environmental Activist; Habitat Restoration Manager, Riverkeeper. ~ MAYOR GARY BASSETT - Chairman of the Hudson 7; Mayor of the Village of Rhinebeck. IV. SOLUTIONS ~ BOB CIESIELSKI - Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter Chair of the Energy Committee; Tiers 1 & 2 ~ SHAY O'REILLY - Sierra Club New York City and Hudson Valley Organizing Representative; Campaign to Stop Two Potential New Gas Power Plants: Danskammer & Astoria; Tier 4. Highlighted Issues: The Champlain Hudson Power Express has been in the planning stages for over a decade and would bring hydropower from Canadian mega dams to NYC through cables buried under the Hudson River.  A few of the many problems: 1. RACIAL INJUSTICE - Mega Dams displace Indigenous Peoples, their homes, hunting, fishing, and ways of life - without permission. 2. ENVIRONMENTAL - Huge tracks of forest are submerged, no longer able to absorb CO2, vegetation underwater produces methyl mercury - a poison - animals, fish, geese are lost. 3. HUDSON RIVER - PCBs and other toxins would be stirred up, fish species recently recovering would be damaged and people of the 7 communities along the Hudson that receive their drinking water from the Hudson would lose their water supply. 4. ECONOMIC - We need to keep good energy jobs and energy dollars here in NYS.