Cornell, climate change and NY power

Drawing on Cornell University’s expertise in climate change science and education, the Cornell Climate Smart Solutions Program is delivering a comprehensive training program for the New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) nearly 2,400 employees in New York.

Cornell researchers, along with researchers from Clarkson University and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, have been awarded contracts to partner with NYPA — the largest state-level public power organization in the U.S. — over the next year.

Led by Allison M. Chatrchyan, senior research associate in the Department of Global Development and the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the project will leverage the Cornell Climate Smart Solutions Program and its multidisciplinary expertise in climate science, communication and policy analysis.

Chatrchyan and her colleagues have experience developing and leading climate change education programs, including courses, workshops and curricula for community members, volunteers and farmers.

“NYPA’s new climate science training program … requires all employees, from the CEO on down, to gain a basic understanding of climate change science and impacts, solutions and policies,” Chatrchyan said. “This sets an important precedent for other companies and agencies to follow by recognizing the importance of climate change for NYPA and the communities in which it operates.”

NYPA generates nearly 25% of New York state’s power. Ambitious goals set under the 2019 New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act mandate that NYPA address climate change within the organization and with its customers across New York state.

According to Chatrchyan, climate change training and increased literacy will help NYPA employees better understand the risks posed by climate change and the best strategies for mitigating these risks.

Training efforts will focus on three objectives: provide each NYPA employee with a working knowledge of the science of climate change, climate impacts and climate solutions; provide research-based evidence on the science of climate change in order to clarify misconceptions; and highlight NYPA’s plans to address climate change in its overall strategic planning.

Cornell’s interdisciplinary team of researchers will develop interactive, asynchronous presentations and lead live discussion sessions and special lectures. They will also conduct a benchmarking survey to establish a baseline of climate science literacy among NYPA employees and measure gains in their understanding of climate change concepts.

The first module launching in January 2021 will introduce NYPA employees to the challenges of addressing climate change, poverty, racial inequities and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying links between these crises and providing ways to think about community impacts in a new light.

“If we want employees and citizens across New York or the United States to take climate change solutions seriously, they need to understand the fundamentals of the science and the implications of the changes we are seeing,” Chatrchyan said.

John Bakum is a communications specialist in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. This article first appeared in The Cornell Chronicle. East Hill Notes are published the first and third Wednesdays of each month.