Introducing the NYS DEC Climate Smart Communities program
From the Town of Riverhead Environmental Committee (and beyond)
We are facing several crises at once at this time in history: geological, physical, chemical and biological. The convergence of issues requires a multi-pronged approach to tamping them down. Energy consumption and CO2/CH4 emissions are the simplest and easiest ones to identify and quantify. The New York State Department of State created a plan through the Governor’s directive some years back which would bring our state’s CO2 (and all the others) emissions down by 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050 https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/Impact-Greenhouse-Gas-Emissions-Reduction . Additionally, we were directed to increase our energy production through the use of ‘renewables’ to a 40% by 2030, 70% by 2040 and 100% by 2050 https://dps.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/10/governor-hochul-issues-new-executive-order-during-climate-week-announcing-nation-leading-sustainability-operations.pdf
On the DEC side (that was NYSERDA’s contribution), they created the Climate Smart Communities incentive program
https://climatesmart.ny.gov/
which more holistically addresses energy, water quality and materials management (solid waste). Their Food Scrap Donation and Recovery law https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/recycling-composting/organic-materials-management/food-donation-scraps-recycling-law became an implementation of the science and figures of Project Drawdown, and 3 of us in Southold and Riverhead started a Food Scraps-to-Compost pilot program in 2019.
In addition, we have created a consortium of all five East End towns which is comprised of the environmental (‘green’) teams, town engineering staff, town board members, small businesses and several non-profits. This bioregional collaboration got us to the point at which we were yesterday (7/26/2025) in Southold’s backyard composter and rain barrel sale.
We are excited to welcome our new Engineering Aide, Joe Rutt (‘new Joe’), whose education in architecture will carry us into the next bit of materials management: Construction and Demolition (C&D). Where food scraps and yard trimmings are 25% of the total Municipal Solid Waste stream for 3 million people in the 2 counties of Long Island, C&D is 50%. Even more exciting, and with thanks, is to our Riverhead Town Board member, Denise Merrifield, who has willingly and enthusiastically taken on the role of the board liaison to the DEC in the Climate Smart Communities program.
Our engineering team had worked diligently for 3 years or so to get all of our streetlights changed over to LED, gotten training for staff, and much more, bringing us to about 80 points in the program towards the 120 we need to be recognized as ‘Bronze.’ With Southampton and Suffolk County (and a few others) having attained ‘Silver’ certification, we know that the seeds we have sown for the last 5 years are going to grow into the points we need for this goal.
It is with combined efforts of citizen volunteers, town board and staff and bioregional partnerships that all of us will succeed.
On our way from Rust to Bronze!!