An `Inconvenient Truth' has become an undeniable fact

Community Climate Walk scheduled Saturday in Glens Falls

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It was the 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth that scared the beJesus out of me.

Apparently, I wasn't alone.

The movie was part of a crusade by former vice president and presidential candidate Al Gore warning the world of the threat fossil fuels posed to our environment. The movie chronicled Gore's journey across the country as he presented a slideshow predicting dire consequences if we did not take action.

The movie won the Academy Award for Best Documentary that year and grossed $50 million world wide. That was unprecedented for a documentary.

But because Al Gore, a Democrat who had run for president, was the face of the argument, the issue immediately became politicized.

In the years that followed, I avoided even using Al Gore's name when writing about climate change.

I figured if I left Al Gore out of it - and the politics - people might be more inclined to listen to the dire predictions of scientists from all over the globe.

The good news is we are making progress. The bad news is that it has taken nearly 20 years.

The Pew Research Center reported last year that:

- Two-thirds of Americans support prioritizing the development of renewable energy sources.

- But nearly 70 percent believe the country should use a mix of energy sources, including fossil fuels.

- Two-thirds of Americans think the federal government should encourage domestic production of wind and solar power.

-Two thirds of Americans think large businesses and corporations are doing too little to reduce climate change.

- While the majority of Americans see climate change as a major threat, they also see it as a lower priority than strengthening the economy and reducing health care costs. Only 37 percent believe it should be a top priority.

- More than 60 percent say climate changes is having an impact on their community.

- Nearly three-quarters of Americans support participation in international efforts to reduce the effects of climate change.

The bad news is that nationally, political parties are completely divided on the issue.

Most Democrats believe in addressing climate change immediately.

Most Republicans do not.

As a reminder of that this week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into a law a measure where Florida's state government will no longer be required to consider climate change when crafting energy policy. It will also prohibit construction of offshore wind turbines in state waters and repeal state grant programs encouraging energy conservation and development of renewable energy.

This new legislation comes on the heels of Florida's hottest summer since 1895 when ocean waters off its coast heated to 90 degrees, bleached coral and scorched marine life.

The result has been more and more insurance companies are pulling out of the state because of extreme weather and hurricanes. Florida homeowners have some of the highest insurance premiums in the country, if they can even find insurance at all.

In contrast, New York State wants 70 percent of its electricity to come from renewable energy just six years from now.

Talk about going in opposite directions.

North Country Public Radio reported this past week that the Salmon River School District, which is closer to Montreal than Albany, hopes to build a solar array on unused school property to help cut energy costs. While it helps the school to reach the state's green energy goals, it could also cut taxpayer expenses.

The school hopes to carve out a 16-acre site behind the school to use for the solar array.

When Salmon River switched over to geothermal energy in 2011 to cut its fossil fuel costs, it increased its electricity bill to about $500,000 a year. That's about a quarter of the district's tax levy. The solar array could eliminate that expense.

But it's not just about the finances.

"It’s about the human race," Superintendent Stanley Harper told NCPR. "We all have to contribute somehow, some way. And if we don't, I think we're being foolish because science is not lying (about) what's going on across the world and on our Earth. So we have to do everything we possibly can. And so for Salmon River, this is a good way for us to start to help contribute to make our world a better place."

The Salmon River project will cost about $16 million.

Harper told NCPR that the project would pay for itself in less than a year.

Harper also believes the solar panels will be educational for students.

"Our kids are going to be able to learn the whole process and see it. You're going to have kids who are going to fall in love with this because they believe in helping make the world better," Harper told NCPR. "So they're going to create jobs. They're going to get kids going down these pathways."

Voters will decide the future of the project on May 21.

The latest science indicates there is no time to waste.

While scientists have already established that last summer was the warmest in the Northern Hemisphere since around 1850 when the first records were kept, a new study in the Journal Nature concludes things may be even worse. After examining centuries old tree rings, it concluded last year was the warmest summer in 2,000 years.

On Saturday in Glens Falls, we all get a chance to see what we can do to help when a Community Climate Action Walk will take place.

Walkers will gather by Crandall Library in City Park at 1 p.m. and walk the one and a half miles to Crandall Park where speakers will address climate action goals we all can set for ourselves.

Local groups will set up tables around the bandstand area at Crandall Park to focus on ways the community can work together to address the issue, no matter what political party you support. I will be there to introduce the speakers.

Diane Collins, the event organizer, said "Working together adds power to our movement to protect our earth and living beings."

Surely, that is a cause that can bring us all together.

The energy - and the fans - have returned to downtown Glens Falls with the Adirondack Thunder playing for the conference championship. Game 1 is tonight and Game 2 is Saturday.

Hockey is back

The Adirondack Red Wings left Glens Falls after its final game in 1999. Since then, hockey has been back in different leagues and various franchises, but it has never duplicated the magic of those early Red Wings.

Until this year.

The Adirondack Thunder won its division, began to attract near sellout crowds, then won its first round playoff matchup before losing its first two games at home to Norfolk in the second round.

Things did not look good.

Adirondack rebounded and swept three straight games on the road in Norfolk - Road, sweet road - and with a chance to clinch on Tuesday night, the old hockey barn on Glen Street was once again packed.

The magic was back.

So was I.

There was an energy I had not seen since those old Red Wing days.

It was also a great game. With Adirondack clinging to a one-goal lead going into the third period, it unleashed a three-goal barrage to clinch the series and advance to the conference finals where it plays the Florida Everblades at home Friday and Saturday night.

As I was leaving the game Tuesday night, I told my colleague it was just like the old days with the Red Wings.

A woman ahead of us, turned around with a big smile on her face agreed.

"Isn't it great," she said.

There is much more hockey to be played.

Protecting consumers

In the wake of the financial collapse in 2008, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was formed to hold institutions like the ones that failed on Wall Street accountable to financial laws protecting consumers.

Many Republicans in Congress, in a nod to their support for big business, have been trying to tear it down ever since.

The CFPB describes its mission as this:

- Rooting out unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices by writing rules, supervising companies, and enforcing the law.

- Enforcing laws that outlaw discrimination in consumer finance.

- Taking consumer complaints.

- Enhancing financial education.

- Researching the consumer experience of using financial products.

- Monitoring financial markets for new risks to consumers.

Since it was formed the CFPB has provided consumer relief of more than $20 billion and helped more than 200 million consumers.

That work continued earlier this year when the CFPB enacted a new rule that capped credit card late fees at $8. Most had been charging four times that.

But last week, a federal judge in Texas blocked the crackdown on "junk fees" after hearing a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Bankers Association.

U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman issued a preliminary injunction, arguing that the CFPB is "unconstitutional" because Congress is not allowed to fire its head or cut its budget.

Congressional Republicans have made the same argument in the past.

Pittman, who was appointed by Donald Trump, wrote, "Consequently, any regulations promulgated under that regime are likely unconstitutional as well."

It was the first time I ever heard a judge refer to a government agency doing work to benefit consumers as a "regime."

But there was finally good news from the Supreme Court on Thursday as the court rejected a challenge to the agency’s constitutionality by a 7-2 vote with Clarence Thomas writing the majority opinion.

It is unclear how that will affect the ruling by the Texas judge in the “junk fees” case.

Ken Tingley spent more than four decades working in small community newspapers in upstate New York. Since retirement in 2020 he has written three books and is currently adapting his second book "The Last American Newspaper" into a play. He currently lives in Queensbury, N.Y.