Can you please confirm your exact position on climate change?
From Karin Jacquin | Tyner Loop
Candidate Answers:
- Kate Bice: I believe climate change exists. There are things we can do in our community to help have a decreased carbon footprint.
- Bob Lijana: I am open to suggestions on how homeowners believe that climate change affects our community, and how our community affects climate change. Given that this is one of the key issues that my alma mater (MIT) focuses on, I am keenly aware of the current science.
- Liz Rolison: I believe in the science that has proven climate change. Personally, I and my family have taken steps to reduce our carbon footprint: switched to an electric vehicle, installed solar panels to power my home and car, and eliminated the use of herbicides on my property. I’m proud that our community supports use of solar panels. Most HOAs are reluctant to approve solar panels for aesthetic reasons, but our community has embraced homeowner investment in solar energy. I also believe there is more that we can do as a community. We are currently evaluating landscaping contractors and have included requirements for moving to electric blowers (with a goal of other electric equipment over time as commercial-grade becomes available), ensuring contractors follow our policies for herbicide use (notifying residents before application and providing signage after application for at least 24 hours), and a leaf management policy that blows leaves from turf into planting beds (only removing leaves during four maintenance cycles during the fall).
- Tom Speer: I became very interested in environmental stewardship long before the current climate change initiatives. I enrolled in SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and spent my freshman year sitting in large classrooms listening to lectures and getting very bored. After one year and getting a very low draft number (13) I was selected by the government and had to complete a extensive health exam . Given I was due to report for service I transferred to the NYS Ranger School to complete my first degree. Well the President then cancelled the draft and I was stuck. I will say that the year at the Ranger School was like none other. Our classroom was the forest where we conducted research and took exams. To this day I am focused like a laser on improving our environment and every year I speak to the graduating classes at the Ranger School the first weekend in August. To me climate change has existed and will continue to exist. I own a Tesla and a combustion car that gets driven less and less. We all need to do our part in protecting the environment.
- William Weitz: Climate change is real. As a community we have limited impact on the climate due to our small size but must do our part to help. I would like to focus on encouraging solar, EV use, and protecting green planting.