Latest / MyRye.com Conversations with Doug French / Sustainable Rye with City Councilmember James Ward
Transcript
- MyRye.com: Welcome to the MyRai.com podcast, conversations with Doug French. I am your host, Doug French, former mayor of the city of Rye. And this podcast is about the people and the issues that impact Rye and the surrounding region. Today's topic is sustainability, and in conversation is James Ward, current Rye City Councilmember and former chair of the Rye Sustainability Committee. James, welcome to MyRai.com. James Ward: Hey Doug, thanks for having me on. I'm really pleased to be on it. And I just let me say that you're doing a bang up job with this. I listened to the previous ones and they're really good. And you have a you have a voice for for I wanna say radio, for podcasting, whatever whatever medium we are in now. MyRye.com: Well Yeah, well and again the goal is really to have a longer conversation and narrative. and and and we're we're building that. So thanks for thanks for the comments. in in this particular conversation, we r really want the listeners to take away really three things. The first is what are the sustainability initiatives happening right now in the city and the surrounding area? the second would be is there any practical advice that you as as an average person or homeowner, you know, how can you be more sustainable in your own daily life? James Ward: Love it. MyRye.com: and then third, the future, as we look forward as communities look to be become more sustainability, I know the city is doing this comprehensive plan. What are the things that we should be thinking about as a community to become more sustainable? So that's kind of the takeaways we want to come away with. And I think we'll start with an icebreaker question. as sustainability as a term has kind of changed the last number of years. You know, how would you define the term sustainability with respect, you know, to communities? James Ward: So it's interesting you say that. I I I I'm not sure w in what degrees it's changed, but I I still use the same definition that I used ten years ago. it's from and it will resonate with you because it's a Norwegian prime minister said it in like I think nineteen eighty seven, which is sustainable development is about providing for the the current generation without sacrificing the needs of the future generation. I think it was Bertland, I dunno saying that correctly, in Norwegian, but like she said that in 1987, and and you wrote that in the sustainable playbook for Rye our sustainable plan for Rye in I think it was 2013. I don't think I don't think anything's changed. we're you know certainly technology is changing. Things are becoming less of like let's do this for the environment, let's just do it because this is cheaper to do. MyRye.com: Exactly. A long time ago. James Ward: I think the urgency around climate is is unfortunately changing, but I think those general principles still stand today. MyRye.com: That's great. And just by way of background, when I was mayor it was the residents that came forward and said we really want to be become more sustainable. Can we create a committee? Which we did, which was at at the time a temporary committee called the Rye Sustainability Committee, and it has been sustained, which is excellent. so let's kind of go through the different blocks of of our initiatives here. so when you look at Rye, you know, what are some of the initiatives that are happening in place right now that you can walk us through? James Ward: So I would think the way maybe one way to think about the general topology is to divide it into what is the municipal government doing and then what is the community doing. And there's an intersect and there's a lot of, you know, overlap in those two things, but it's not a bad like mental framework. You know, and a couple of years ago we became a climate smart community, bronze status, an awesome achievement. opens up funding, means we're doing things, in a sustainable fashion and meeting what the state has outlined as important things for municipalities to do. And right now, you know, together under Brian Shea, we're pushing forward to silver status, which is a whole bunch of things that need to be accomplished to do that. One of the main things that's you know i that's actually the talk of the town now is the comprehension plan and the revising that you know, the funding that we got for the comprehensive plan was through Climate Smarts. That's a climate smart, directed initiative. So it's comprehensive planning with sustainable elements. and really it's going to among a lot of things, define how the city, goes for the next, you know, ten to fifteen years on a lot of things and a lot of those things have sustainable attributes. And then, you know, more you know, more active right now for the last three months last year, we got a grant to do the natural resource inventory, and that inventory hadn't been updated since nineteen seventy-nine. and so we're updating that as a precursor to the comprehensive plan. Again, money that the Rise Sustainability Foundation got through New York Grants and now is, you know, had the city doing that. And so that's kind of what's going on in in on the municipal level. Then on the community side, we're continuing to innovate and reach out and I think some of the main things like sustainable lawn practices, planting trees. solar programs and making sure the community is aware of what those things are. in a month ago in May we had our green cocktails, right? Which has just blossomed into a wonderful event where people go and talk about sustainable things and just getting that education and recognizing, you know, you know, we recognized Paul Hicks and his wife Barbara, we recognized the Blood Center for their I'm probably getting it wrong, but you know, sustainably focused, you know, build out of the Avon property and other things, high school students that had done great work and it's just, you know, we wanna keep going on that, you know, and keep pushing those things. obviously solar is one of those things that's now very affordable. I mean it's you know If you're mad about your your Con Ed bills, you know, and you and your house has enough sunlight to get solar, get solar because you're talking about an investment that pretty much pays itself back in four years. MyRye.com: You mentioned the Rye Sustainability Foundation. Can you talk about some of the partnerships across the community, whether it's the Rye Nature Center, the foundation you mentioned, other groups? James Ward: Yeah, yeah. I mean, so again, kind of blossoming. I'll I use that word twice. I guess that's it. I hit my limit on blossoming. blossoming out of the the Rise Sustainable Committee was really a need like you know, most most communities have set up some kind of five one C three arm that's able to raise money and do things. Really not that, you know, ambitious from a fundraising standpoint, but more of like community education. But forming partnerships. The Ryan Nature Center, you know, with Christine Siller has been really a great partner helping us advance 250 oaks and our heritage tree inventory, which you know, we're gonna hear more about in the coming months. But like it's been a great initiative to for people to plant oaks. You know, be working with Sustainable Westchester to get the Solarize It program out to the local, a great program that allows you, you know, to tap into totally free assessment of your property, whether it can hold s solar and then bids it out to five well known and verified solar companies. I did it last year and I couldn't be happier. working with Nicerta obviously to get people to do you know you know charging off hours charging and you know grid you know programs. In fact today there's a grid alert on from I think it's two to ten PM if you cut cut your electricity off cut your electricity back during that period. You're gonna at the end of the year, Con and Nicerda sends you a check for some money, you know, because Just trying to balance out the grid. So all those things and and others just working with them to kind of bring sustainability broadly to the community. MyRye.com: And and do the schools participate? James Ward: the schools are participating. In fact, I was at a conference and Sustainable Westchester was there and they said, well, we really like a contact in the Rye City School District because you know, we just had a case study where we got something like, you know, seventy to a hundred K of of refunds for the school in New Rochelle for doing grid pricing, that that thing that I'm talking about where when demand is high, lowering your your air conditioning. And Trisha Murray and others on the board were really receptive of that and had a meeting with us with Sustainable West Chasher. I don't I don't know exactly where they are, but definitely, you know, wanna make those they were at the green cocktails, so I think they're you know, people they're they're getting there. You know, I think Trisha's finding her feet and she's got a lot on her plate, but you know, we hope to work with them more. MyRye.com: I also think on the education side, at at the event you mentioned, there were three students that won the sustainability award and they created I think eco friendly or environmentally friendly fertilizer, right? James Ward: Yeah, and it I mean it was it was taking an issue, looking at it which is fertilizer, which you know, we all you know we get it, you know, people want really green lawns, but it's a matter of like trying to get the amount of raw fertilizer that's runoff go it goes back into the sound and creates, you know, allergy blooms that aren't you know aren't good for the wildlife and trying to curb that by using better better blends and and getting, you know, the companies like Scots to produce ones that are more eco friendly and getting people to use that. And I think that's what we're all about, like getting, you know, people in the community, including including the future generations that we talked about at the beginning of the show, to to be involved. It's your it's gonna be your future and take care of it. MyRye.com: And on the the council side, I mean how how do you how do you balance kind of the sustainability goals with you know and with investments and getting resident buy in? There really is there's educating the residents and there's also investing. And getting also city staff time is also very limited, getting them to focus. So how do you balance all those things in your wearing your hat as a council member? James Ward: I think I think the I think the last thing you said is the most important. Like we we have limited staff and we had limited time to do everything we want to do, so we have to be balanced, you know. thing you know, to use that phrase, you know, potholes have to be fixed and and you know, there's a lot of other projects that aren't exactly sustainable projects. But Brian Shea has been very focused on sustainability and I think Now we're in a different period where before it was like you're sacrificing something to do it, but now it's like going back to my rooftop solar, I'm paying my twenty five year average price for electricity is now fixed to ten cents a kilowatt. If you're using Conad, you're currently paying thirty cents a kilowatt. Con ed's gonna go up four percent a year, people are gonna be irate. I I want energy independence for the city. let's talk about where we can put in solar, for instance. You know, the HVAC project, we didn't call it a sustainability project, but a lot of money going out the door to heat and cool that place. And so looking at our buildings and figuring out where we can save money by doing quote unquote sustainable projects. I think everybody would agree that's that's a good thing to do and and the library, the Ri ry free reading room was at City Hall last night giving a presentation, one of the things they said is sent, you know, how can we get our energy bills down? Like we we of course want things to look great as everything does and rye, but we also recognize we don't want to we want some energy independence. We want things cheaper. It's a balance, it's listening to people, you know, and making sure we're moving we're giving we're taking in the right technologies and moving the right way. MyRye.com: Right, right. Well and now pivoting to the homeowner, I I know the leaf blower law was very controversial, but in practice, I just bought a leaf blower. It's pretty power very powerful, it's pretty easy. Even with the lawnmowers, it's unbelievable how great these these lawnmowers are, their battery power. James Ward: No. I mean, let me like again, it w like I don't have my city hall hat on. I don't have my, you know, mayor, deputy mayor hat on or whatever hat, city council member hat on, but just someone who works in their yard and someone who knows technology. Electric engines are far, far superior to gas engines. It's just a fact. It's not like something that's like this side saying this. It's like you there's a reason why you know You have an electric car, you have no maintenance up for tires and like there's maybe an air filter over its life. it has it operates at a very low budget and it's much more efficient use of energy. And that's because, you know, regular combustion engines have what's called a Carnot cycle, and Carnot cycles are you're dumping a lot of heat, you know, it's like you're converting all of that energy, only getting thirty percent out into actual movement, where an electric car you're getting like nine. The engines are superior. I have an electric lawn mower and I really abuse it and it takes it all and it just works. And it's very my neighbor's like, I can't even hear I didn't even know you were cutting your lawn. I'm like, yeah, I was cutting my lawn. Going back to leaf blowers, I think I get it. It's hard to switch technologies. I think the leaf blowers don't work was electric leaf blowers don't work was more saying it's a hassle to change. If you've already invested in gas equipment and your equipment is also you have gas cans and you know how to operate your crews. Now if you're asking me to kind of now do electric and gas, that's a hassle and I totally, totally get it. And the it doesn't work is was a a kind of general catch all phrase because I look around and all of the landscapers that are in my neighborhood are now using electric leap lowers and I nothing looks different and but the sounds has gone way away. And the to be frank, the the operators, those often young immigrants who are kind of getting a leg up in society and wanting to, you know, earn some money are now not ruining their hearing and not breathing in noxious GMs, I think a huge win for for those operators and I think the the landscapers have been doing an excellent job. MyRye.com: Way, yeah. James Ward: It's like sometimes government has to give that push. MyRye.com: Right. I also see a lot of my neighbors now just cutting their own lawnmowers 'cause it's so simple when you use these these battery powered lawnmowers. It's light, it's easy, charge it up, you're good to go. So are there other things that homeowners should be looking at in terms of energy audits or yard choices or waste habits that you can speak to? James Ward: all of the above. I guess like you know, waste habits is a tough one. You know, I'm a big proponent of food scrap, if you think about it, food you know, waste food is in the best of cases is like twenty to thirty percent of all trash and a lot of waste food is water. So you're literally paying, for twenty to forty percent of your trash to be hauled up to peak skills to be then incinerated, which is like a lose lose, right? Like we're carting water around. So I'm a proponent of food scrap recycling. I think we can make it work as a community and I think it's And there's a lot of community members I should say that are like would like to have that. so waste Yeah. It was effective. I mean, I you know, I don't wanna I don't wanna rehash you know decisions that the council made, people did what they did, but I would say that I thought on its surface MyRye.com: You know, we had tried it earlier, right? We had tried it earlier and it was pretty effective. Just the the cost. Yeah. James Ward: whether it wa for for a proof of concept plan on a limited thing limited amount of people was quite successful. What one did we leave out? I think there was did we MyRye.com: I mean conserving water, home energy audits. James Ward: Hen home energy odds nice completely free. I think the tough part about getting you know, we talked about solar, we could talk about heat pumps, we could talk about what to do when you get those energies. the real barrier to a lot of these technologies is not that they're more efficient, they don't make your life a lot better, it's just that they tend to be capital outlays. And I think, you know, that's what's important is making sure that people have thought about like, hey, you know, I have a water heater downstairs. This personally, like, you know, it's gas. And I'm like, I got two to three years probably left in it. And it's important to me, like when that time comes I'll switch over to a heat pump. But I'm not gonna go out and like just get a new yeah, like a new water heater just to do it. And I don't think anyone's asking anyone to behave like irrationally, but just to think about like alright how many how much life does my air conditioner have air conditioners get if they're old school get progressively more and more expensive to to charge up with a new freon because the the with new freon because the the older ones the older it is the the government's like phased them out so the you know, I had a sticker shotgun mine like a year and a half ago where it's like it wasn't working. They said it needs to be charged. I was like, charge it up and I'm kinda thinking, it's gonna be like a hundred, two hundred bucks, you know, labor. It was twelve hundred bucks. MyRye.com: Wow, okay. James Ward: You know, because it's old and it's like, all right, MyRye.com: Yeah. Yeah. James Ward: so you s like can I can I get a heat pump in? You know, those kinda like that's the awareness that the foundation wants to do and that's the awareness we want in the public. It's like you don't have to you don't have to kill yourself. You don't have to like, you know, go and do something crazy. Just know when, you're switching, whether you can switch to one of those things that's a little bit more in line with the efficiency that we get in these new products and benefit from that. MyRye.com: Is there is there any specific resource or app that people can use? You talk about NICERTA and the grids programming other what's your source for for information that would be good for people to know? James Ward: it varies. I I like to think that the the sustainability committee and the foundation are great sources. We're all always happy to talk to people about things and you know from time to time we get letters. NICERTA I think I had a couple written down as I'm gonna look but like NICERT is a great one for energy, for energy audits, for heat pumps. you know, like we live in an age where basically, you know, you can go on the internet, chat G P T, it lines it up for you pretty well. So like MyRye.com: Exactly, exactly. James Ward: There's a lot of resources and then, if you have some ideas or something I think either myself, Hillary Garland, Donna Providente, we're we're happy to kind of take those things in and see if we can move them forward, but you know, with with respect to like, you know, forums, symposiums, etcetera. MyRye.com: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, the we are in the answer engine economy for sure. I mean and that's really how I how I switched to to to my electric leaf blower, battery powered leaf blower was yes. Great. it's much more powerful than I expected. Same with the lawnmower, and it's easy to do and it's actually kind of fun to do also. I mean let's let's talk about communities now in the future. So, you know, you look at the surrounding regions and or in the communities in the area James Ward: Yeah. How's your how was your experience been? Yeah. Yeah. MyRye.com: Collectively, I mean, what are some of the forward looking investments that have to be made or how are how we make the communities more sustainable in the future? James Ward: Yeah, I mean we have to you know obviously a push to electrification. I think if anything, you know, the what's going on in Iran and the Straits of Hormuz, you know, is telling us, energy independence is a great thing and we certainly as a country produce a lot of energy. I'm not saying like that, but it's like prices go up because they're global prices and l think electrification and solar and, you know, other things. I I went to a talk on di given by NIPA, the New York power authority, who Justin Driscoll's actually was giving it and he was a Rye resident and he was talking they're putting in ninety miles, I think it is, of of cable to decarbonize the Westchester to help decarbonize the Westchester grid. So it's wind energy coming off Long Island, bringing that into Westchester and points north. and we should all look to, you know I've had a electric car for four years now and I just love it. I mean it's quiet, it runs really well. I just got the new Tesla and the driving function is unbelievable. I went and dropped my son off at school and I I didn't actually drive the car. So but so I mean I think a lot of good things are in there, but it's it's easy, it's co it's quiet, it's predictable. I never go to a a gas station. I charge it up at my house. And with solar I'm paying like ten dollars a month to charge it. MyRye.com: Right. And so so battery storage is the key also then, right? and the safety of battery storage, right? you have any expertise in that area? James Ward: I wouldn I wouldn't call it expertise, but I have some thoughts in that area. I mean, one is it's it's very important that we start to think battery energy storage systems. and people have a lot of people have them on the at the residential level. It's great. You you have solar, it's it it basically allows you to load balance, it becomes a place where, you know, if if Con Ed ever went to demand pricing, which I think there's a I'm again I'm not an expert, but like a high likelihood they would do that. They do it at a commercial level already, which is if you're if you're using energy at peak times, you're getting charged for like what was your highest during that peak time. It's a it's somewhat of a complicated calculation, but like on the residential area, it would even be good to take electricity off the grid at night and then use it during the day. At the commercial level we have a moratorium on it. I voted for that moratorium, so like I'm not talking out of both sides of my mouth. I I think we have to understand safety first. I'd like to move the community to thinking about it for the on the municipal level. You know, obviously we're not gonna do anything that's endangers the community. that's our covenant with everybody. We don't go into things but like there's a lot of There's a lot of research out there and it's just getting, the guidance, having Mike Copey and his guys, you know, understand what are the, suppressants that you need in place and what are the conditions where people are doing it. I think in some ways it's probably the commercial side is safer than the residential side. I have no evidence at all to back that up except the obvious if you're talking about a bigger system that's run commercially, they probably have more, fire suppressants and redundant systems to make sure that it doesn't go out of control, which I don't I don't think the that the residential ones are dangerous either. I would have gotten one except Except when I put in solar, there was none left, meaning it's so popular now. But it's really it's necessary for load balancing, it's necessary for storage when so that you have it, you know, to to even out that sometimes it's sunny, not sometimes it's not sunny. But it you could you could put in a battery energy storage system without any solar and make money for it because Nicearter would pay or Connet would pay you to to take fill it up at night. and then release it during the day. MyRye.com: Gotcha. So the final thing in this section is the the the comprehensive plan. I'm sure sustainability is gonna run through all that as we look at our green space, we look at flooding, we look at housing development, right? How are how is sustainability gonna connect across all of those areas? James Ward: I think again, our definition, making sure we provide for the right now without sacrificing what our the future generations need. In fact, planning by definition is planning for the future generation. So, you know, sustainability is a good thing. We're talking about like how this everything that we enjoy about Rai will be here, decades to come. as to how it plays out, I'm actually kind of interested as well in what what pieces we'll see more of it and what pieces we'll see, you know, maybe not as much as we thought. Like, but you know, flooding, resiliency making it favorable to put in solar, making it favorable for battery energy storage systems, how we think about greenways and being able to ride instead of or walk instead of drive a car. I mean I think we all, you know, again this is not we're We enjoy being outside. We enjoy being able to walk, ride and run. People are out all the time. We want to make those greenways that allow us to do that and allow rye to be the we already think it's the best place on earth, but it's you know, like to make it even that much better. Yeah. MyRye.com: the leadership. No. All right. That's excellent. So before we we go to our lightning round, I just want to remind our viewers if you have a topic or a person that you'd like to hear on the MyRide.com podcast, conversations with Doug French, just email me at French at myride.com or just let me know around town. So we'll move to our lightning round. And these are just one-word answers or very short answers. And James Ward: I mean. MyRye.com: You could say pass if there's one that stumps you. But number one is the biggest sustainability win in rise so far. James Ward: Okay. our bronze bronze climate smart community status definitely. MyRye.com: most important individual action a resident can take. James Ward: Electrify. MyRye.com: Biggest challenge facing local sustainability efforts. James Ward: Momentum. MyRye.com: See, you're actually very good at this. Mm some of our guests go on forever. I'm like, this is the lightning round. Yeah, it's not. This is what it's this is great. Momentum is a is a is an awesome word. You gotta tap into that. top priority for the next few years. James Ward: Delight definitionally I'm just giving you what's on the top of my head. Alright. Having said that, I would say our climate action plan, like how we think about decarbonization and bringing those efficient energy systems to Rye. That's not one answer one word answer, but MyRye.com: No no no it's but this is t part of that global that that local operations climate plan, right? Yeah, okay. James Ward: Yep. That's our municipal climate action plan and then one for the community which is more aspirational than we will do this. It's like, you know, we wanna make Rye a better place and I think these technologies and this these these things that we're thinking of make it a better place. I don't think it's at all controversial or or will come at the sacrifice of anything else. I don't we haven't spent any we've spent no money on these things. They've come in the form of grants and I think they're just we should keep pushing. MyRye.com: Now you kinda answered this earlier, but the one resource or person that that people should follow will obviously go to the sustainability, Rise Sustainability Committee page. But also just just ask AI, right? James Ward: Ask a a AI or and and we at the foundation, would love to hear from you if you wanna if you've got an idea or an unmet need or you wanna get involved, you know, there's there's no one secret sauce. You know, everybody's welcome. If you made it to the green cocktails, you'll get a sense of that. There's just a very diversity of ideas and people and things that people wanna do and I think you be be part of that. MyRye.com: what's your personal favorite sustainability habit? James Ward: my personal sustain my personal favorite sustainability habit is I love to ride my I have an e bike. I use it I go to the train station at odd times and I don't want to pay for a parking spot. I couldn't even if I had could pay for a parking spot, there are none. And so it gets me there when I need to get there and it's it's fun and cool and even if I'm wearing a suit, because you're not you know you can modulate your effort, it's it's just great. MyRye.com: Well park parking is another is another episode and I'll take that up with the city manager. a listener had had written in about this. What's your favorite rye coffee? James Ward: Okay. wow. That is now you stop me. Alright, so I'm gonna no no, because I'm a a huge coffee fan and one of my many hats is meeting people for coffee. and I like them all. I mean so MyRye.com: Or or go to restaurant. James Ward: On the new scale, I think Winfield coffee roasters is just a what a like what a place that is. And now it's so popular it i you know, that you used to be you have the place to yourself, but like that's my favorite one. I love Milton Point. people there are so nice, coffee's great. Sunshine is great. I mean s occasionally I'll go to Starbucks, but it was the you know, I think Starbucks is is is probably like the lower on the list. And then I I I can't even remember what the name of it is, but what's the one that's next to Sunrise? Not the coffee place, the pizza place. yeah, but i yeah, down I forget I forget. There's they have great pastries and they have some they're also really good. But I if I had to give if I had if you you know twisted my arm I would say Winfield is my favorite. MyRye.com: Yeah. It's it's the it's the bagel shop. Yeah, no. Good, good, good. All right. And do you have a suggested guest or topic that we should ask for the podcast? James Ward: I think so I'm biased, so I think it would be great to get one or two people from the comprehensive comprehensive plan, you know, steering committee on the show. Justin Driscoll, who is the night by head I saw him speak, he's amazing. I think he'd be a great I I think he's he's what he's doing is less local, but wow, he's like his presentation was just awesome. who else? MyRye.com: Right. Yeah, and I was at the conference as well and I also think that they set they they set a lot of the policies also that people have to follow or or at least they they put in motion what people need to consider. That that's a great one. James Ward: Yeah, that's right. You were. Does it? I think I thought he was he would be really good one. I think you you know, Yeah, like maybe, you know like for instance Nick Everett on the planning, you know, it's gonna be it's gonna be fun to see that. It's gonna be some I hope well I'm positive that a lot of people are gonna get involved in that and it's just gonna be challenging but a lot of fun. MyRye.com: Well that that's good. Sure. I'm gonna Nick on, I think Yeah, N Nick and Christian are on the list. to to invite. All right, any final thoughts on sustainability efforts and and how could people best reach you or the committee? James Ward: Yeah. yeah, they can they can reach so yeah, you send me an email, J W A R D at Rise Sustainability dot com. You can get a hold of me. I'm happy to receive emails. obviously I might address it to the city. you know just do one thing, you know, just think of like a you know You don't have to change your whole world overnight, just do one thing differently, you know, one less car ride or or whatever. MyRye.com: That's great. Well, James, thank you, Mr. Deputy Mayor. It was great to speak with you and get your insights. And thank you for your service to the community in the many hats that you wear. And thank you for to all of our listeners for listening to the MyRide.com podcast. You can find the full episode of this transcript and other transcripts as well as your local news at myride.com. If you enjoyed this episode or other episodes, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And with that, James, thank you very much. James Ward: Thank you very much, Doug.