On this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, I think about my sister’s prescient and intentional decision to live a life that is marginally dependent on global systems, as locally sourced as possible, and with as light a carbon footprint as she can muster. My sister lives on a high mesa in Utah. Her home sits 16 miles up Sand Flats Road, just outside of Moab. She has no power, no water, no cable or WiFi, or connections to the normal things that link most of the rest of us to greater dependence on...Read more

These are the most turbulent times in any of our memories. Some of us remember all the way back to the 70s when we were marching in the streets demanding the end to wars and the launch of clean air and water standards. (OK Boomer!) Some of us came of age when the markets crashed and the global economy burned in 2008. Some of us have been deployed into unknown dangerous territories. But this feels worse. Day by day, terrible uncertainty and fear grow as the Coronavirus spreads and takes its toll...Read more

Every ten years since 1790 — that’s 22 times over 220 years! — the United States government has conducted a national count of everyone who lives in the country. ANCA is helping spread the word about the Census here in the Adirondack North Country because this short and simple survey has a direct and lasting impact on our communities. Representation Census data determines how many seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and how congressional districts are appointed. This...Read more

“One day a group of villagers was working in the fields by a river. Suddenly someone noticed a baby floating downstream. A woman rushed out and rescued the baby, brought it to shore and cared for it. During the next several days, more babies were found floating downstream, and the villagers rescued them as well. But before long there was a steady stream of babies floating downstream. Soon the whole village was involved in the many tasks of rescue work: pulling these poor children out of the...Read more

2019 Last-minute Shop Local Holiday Gift Guide Local gifts make a difference This holiday season is the final one of the decade — a perfect time to reflect on the last ten years and express our gratitude for the people with whom we have shared memories and experiences throughout the 2010s. Send a card, pick up the phone, share a meal, give a gift. If you haven’t finished your holiday shopping quite yet, don’t stress about it. We have some great ideas for gifts that show your love of friends and...Read more

Part 2 In my last blog , I shared my reflections about the value of localizing our energy choices. I contrasted the dominant centralized grid — which imports most of its energy across millions of years and thousands of miles in the form of coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy and the damaging impacts that consumption of these fuels has on human health — with the more resilient, locally sourced distributed grid of the future. As New York State rolls out the recently adopted Climate...Read more

We are inspired. And we are grateful. On September 29, over 200 people gathered together at Tucker Farms, less than 10 miles down the road from Saranac Lake, in the heart of the Adirondack North Country. Golden corn fields, historic barns and a panorama of mountain peaks set the stage for a shared meal between new friends and old — visitors and locals who came here to enjoy a day of cycling, visiting local farms and learning about what work and life is like for a variety of Adirondack farmers...Read more

You might be wondering what whales have to do with a blog on local energy. After 25 years of working in the environmental field, I believe one thing to be true: all environmental problems can be solved by modelling human systems on ecological principles. Humans have much to learn — from our animal friends specifically and from ecological principles in general — about how to capture energy as efficiently and sustainably as possible. Which brings us back to whales. The whale in this picture — a...Read more

Kelly’s Story It is before 6 am and I am up packing lunches, half dressed and less than half awake. I reheat old coffee in the microwave and suck it down in silent hope that it will be stronger than the day I made it. Was that yesterday? The list running through my mind repeats again and again, but unlike a broken record the song only gets longer every time it plays. Bills are due, kids need supplies before school starts back up, the car needs an oil change, the dog hasn’t been to the vet in...Read more

Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization. — Mahatma Ghandi A little over five years ago my wife Erin and I visited the Adirondacks for the very first time. Prior to that we knew very little about the region aside from the Adirondack chairs that we had growing up. While visiting, we did many of the things that some first time visitors do. We hiked Cascade, hiked Baker Mountain, spent a few nights in Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, experienced...Read more