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Gwendolyn Craig

Policy Reporter

Last week was Climate Week, which meant an influx of daily announcements from state government about clean energy, the environment and climate change. For instance, the village of Lake Placid earned the "Climate Smart Community" designation, as part of a joint state agency program encouraging municipalities to take climate change mitigation actions. We noticed, however, that the state Assembly has yet to deliver a climate-related bill to Gov. Kathy Hochul's desk. It's often referred to as the 30-by-30 bill. Its a goal-oriented bill passed by both houses this year encouraging the state to protect 30% of its lands and waters by 2030. You can read more about the bill and some of the climate change announcements that did happen last week here:

It’s Climate Week: Where’s the 30-by-30 bill?

In a sea of Climate Week announcements from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration, legislation encouraging state protection of 30% of its lands and waters by 2030 has yet to lap her desk.

The bill passed the state Assembly and Senate this spring, with significant bipartisan support. Nearly four months later, the Assembly has not delivered the bill to Hochul. The legislation states preserving more lands and waters will increase New York’s resilience to climate change, protect biodiversity and conserve the habitats of threatened and endangered species.

Harvest of the Month: All About Apples

Apples are one of the most historically, culturally, and economically significant fruits on earth. The modern apple is thought to have been domesticated in modern-day Kazakstan 4,000-10,000 years ago. Today there are over 42,360 acres of apple orchards in New York State, which is second in the US behind the state of Washington for apple production. So how did the United States become a leader in growing a fruit relatively new to the area?
Read more..

In more climate change news, reporter Zach Matson has a story about a new paper showing Adirondack winters are shortening. Ice cover and species phenology (those are biological clocks for things like migration, hibernation, flowering, egg-laying) could shift by one to three weeks by the year 2100 due to future warming. That's just 78 years away. What a difference the next generation will see at that rate. Read the story here.

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In case you missed it, reporter Mike Lynch received the third-party test results in the case of the coyote-wolf mystery, which confirmed the canid in question is a wolf. Check the story out here.

Did anyone else see the SpaceX launch on Saturday night? I noticed it at the Adirondack Balloon Festival in Queensbury. I had no idea what it was at the time, but sharing a couple of photos here.

The SpaceX launch from the Adirondack Balloon Festival in Queensbury. Photo by Gwendolyn Craig

Photo by Gwendolyn Craig

I goofed in my last newsletter and said our hike up Hadley Mountain was in Warren County. It is in Saratoga County. Apologies for the mistake and thanks to those who corrected me! Have a great rest of your week!

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