Legislature must pass pending climate bills

As a science teacher, solar instructor and lifelong learner, I have watched our slow awareness of the stress and damage climate change has put on our Earth and the many solutions proposed to fix these stresses.

We already have a safe nuclear reactor in the sky that has been heating the surface of Earth for 4.5 billion years and providing electrical power (photons) and heat (radiant energy) to produce enough electricity and heat to make our Earth’s population functioning and comfortable.

Our state Legislature is making progress to point New Yorkers in the right direction to utilize this free fuel (no pipelines or delivery charges) so we can stop using fossil fuels. Up for a vote this year are bills that will help us move us along to achieve better health (for ourselves and the planet), energy security and a cleaner environment while creating a multitude of workforce opportunities.

These bills are: The All-Electric Building Act, the Advanced Building Codes, Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards Act, the Gas Transition and Affordable Energy Act as well as the Fossil-Free Heating Tax Credit and a related Sales Tax Exemption.

We must all voice our support for these bills and ask our legislators to pass them and our governor to sign them to meet the state’s climate goals. For those who have not kept up with the science, which is tough to do in this ever-changing world, I understand change is difficult but applying this knowledge is appropriate in this situation: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change.”

Joanne Coons

Clifton Park