An important development for Ulster County

Dear Editor,

An innovative technology has arrived in the U.S. Zinc8, an energy company leading the movement for zinc air batteries, is moving its headquarters to Ulster County, N.Y. (“Zinc8 Inks Deal,” Freeman, Jan. 26). This monumental $68 million investment includes construction of a combined commercial, residential, and energy storage site, 600 units of net zero carbon housing, and 500 new clean energy jobs.

Greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion account for 1 in 5 deaths worldwide, and 350,000 premature deaths in the U.S. It’s time to act rapidly, to divest from power sources that place our population and planet at extreme risk. New

York Gov. Kathy Hochul is leading a sustainable and just transition to clean energy through New York’s cap and invest program, which promises an 85% emission reduction from 1990 levels by 2050.

We can support efforts to clean our homes and communities by endorsing the All-Electric Buildings Act and N.Y. Heat. A new federal law (Inflation Reduction Act) provides funding to states; we need to figure out how to use it.

However, this isn’t just about basic health; this is about improving quality of life. Current and future generations will benefit from sustainable jobs, affordable housing, and economic growth. The IRA will provide better wages and union benefits through clean energy. We need to support dedicated leaders such as Jen Metzger, the only female county executive in New York, U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan, D-Gardiner, and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Learn how to help! (Visit cclusa.org). Ultimately, we need to converge on common values: healthy people and planet. Tessa Husted, Red Hook, N.Y. The writer is a Citizens Climate Lobby volunteer.