The City of Rochester is joining a coalition of groups that has serious concerns about climate change.
There are now 77 members in the Rochester People's Climate Coalition, according to leadership team member and spokesperson Linda Isaacson Fidele.
"Our goal is to educate the public, push for legislation, talk with the media about the need to reduce carbon emissions, and also the need to make our city and our region more resilient to the effects of climate change," she said.
Fidele notes that food and agriculture were left out of the Paris Climate Talks in December, so they're trying to get the word out during various Earth Week events.
City Department of Environmental Services Commissioner, Norman Jones, says the city is proud to join the coalition.
"We're using solar energy at Arnett Branch Library, and at the Public Market. We're excited by an upcoming solar farm project. In the first year alone, the project is expected to generate about 2.8 million kilowatt hours of clean zero emission electricity," he said.
Jones says that project will be at the old Emerson Street landfill.
He adds the city continues to use over 300 alternative fuel vehicles in its fleet, and the city is already committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from municipal operations by at least 20 percent by the year 2020.
The Rochester People's Climate Coalition plans a full week of activities.
Here's a link to their schedule.
Today’s event also included a tour of the green roof atop City Hall
The RPCC's Linda Isaacson Fedele on the city joining the group: