Tuesday April 16, 2024 
Climate Change and What You Can Do
“Why is it so cold?? It was just a million degrees last weekend?”; Is a phrase a majority of people have been saying more and more often regarding the weather. But this is a lot bigger than humid weather and weird temperatures, and this “bigger thing” is climate change. Now everyone knows about climate change, in this generation, we are taught of it at a young age, we know all about greenhouse gases, pesticides, and other fossil fuels affecting the earth. Almost any kid these days could ace a quiz easily when asked about climate change. But even though people have become more aware of climate change why is it rising at an alarming rate? Well, a lot of it has to do with the increase in the human population, this has caused a need for more manufacturing of vehicles and other products, which leads to the mining of more materials. An example of this is deforestation and oil rigs. An increase in the human population also increases the rate of livestock farming, which believe it or not does actually affect climate change. Now while it is a commonly known fact that pollution is bad why is it still happening? A person could believe that with so many people aware of climate change it would go down not rise… but in retrospect, it is not that easy. While everyone wants to do their part we rely on big companies to supply us with our everyday needs and wants without truly thinking of the effect. I am not saying to go against your local grocery store and stop buying food, that is an unreasonable and unnecessary request, but there are other ways for an everyday person to help the fight against climate change. Simply turning off your lights, making an effort to reuse and recycle, and trying not to litter could help in the long run. This earth is our home and while climate change might not seem like a big issue to deal with if we keep on putting it off it will become more of an issue than it already is. Let’s not procrastinate when it comes to the well-being of our planet.
Kimberly Mazzacco, East Greenbush
Dunn & Co. will not acknowledge its problems
The SA Dunn & Company, LLC recently mailed a two-page color flyer to Rensselaer residents. In it, Dunn promised to “always live up to our responsibility in continuing a positive, fact-based dialogue” and asserted “Our operations are not contributing to any contamination in the surrounding environment.”
I will pay $1000 to anyone else who can prove Dunn’s operations are not contaminating the surrounding environment.
Dunn, part of Texas-based Waste Connections, operates the Dunn construction and demolition debris dump next to the Rensselaer public school campus and in between Rensselaer and East Greenbush neighborhoods.
In its flyer, Dunn noted that it had recently hosted a public information meeting concerning its permit renewal application but did not discuss what people said at this meeting. Many Rensselaer and East Greenbush residents passionately described the negative health impacts and ongoing quality of life challenges living for seven-plus years near the dump and/or along the Rensselaer city streets traversed by trucks entering and departing the dump.
At this June 14 meeting, a Dunn employee promised to respond in writing during July to all questions posed to it at the meeting. As of August 23, this promise has not been kept.
Dunn has had plenty of time to clean up its act and become the good neighbor it claims to be. Dunn apparently cannot or will not resolve, let alone acknowledge, the many hazards and abuses it imposes on its neighbors.
Governor Hochul and/or the state legislature should close the dump now.
Tom Ellis, Albany