By: Patty L. Buchanan The seasonal eco-grief that comes with school bus purchasing plans has, once again, set in. The stark truth is that the Croton School District continues to fall 70% behind the needed pace to meet NY State law and globally needed reduction in transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The implications are best described by António Guterres, U.N….
The Look of Success
By: Patty L. Buchanan Do you want to advocate for an electric school bus (ESB) in your local School District? You may find the story of how tiny Croton on Hudson, NY got its first ESB instructional. Success is achieved by unflinching advocacy. Here in Croton, our two-and-a-half-year campaign spanning three school budget cycles, by all-volunteer efforts to electrify the…
Momentum is Building for Electric School Buses
By Patty L. Buchanan Momentum is building all around us for electric school buses, and for good reasons. The Croton Harmon School District has taken a leadership role by procuring a $120,000 NYSERDA grant to purchase its first 66-passenger electric bus. The local climate stability education advocacy group, Croton100, rallied the Croton community in the Spring of 2021 to deliver…
Progress Rolls Like a Brick
By: Chandu Visweswariah Congratulations to all residents of the Croton Harmon School District in New York! In the recent May 18 budget vote, you chose electric buses overwhelmingly over fossil fuel buses. The three electric bus propositions collectively received a 73.7% approval. For those who recall, we also had a Proposition 1 for two fossil fuel buses, and the three…
I’m Voting No to Proposition 1 and Yes to Propositions 2, 3 and 4 on the Croton School Ballot; Here’s Why
I am voting NO to Transportation Proposition 1 and YES to Propositions 2, 3 and 4 on the Croton School May 18 ballot. I encourage you to do the same. Here’s why. As a resident of this School District, I, along with others in the community, have spent the past year working with the School on positioning our District to…
Our Votes? Not in a Million Years!
By: Chandu Visweswariah [Editor’s note: Proposition numbers were updated in keeping with updated Bond Proposition numbering on 4/13/2021 and funding details were updated on 5/3/2021.] The Croton School District (Westchester County, New York) is placing the following transportation bond propositions on the May 18, 2021 ballot: Proposition 1: Authorization to borrow money for 2 diesel buses and one “impractical” charger…
So Much Money and Carbon to be Saved
By: Patty L. Buchanan Croton100 has continued with its best efforts to educate the Croton School District about the benefits of integrating electric school buses into its fleet in the 2021-22 budget cycle that is currently being finalized. We were so inspired by the many messages community members sent to the Board of Education (BOE) in response to our March…
Horror, Despair, Hope and Action
By: Patty L. Buchanan Climate stability advocates spend a lot of time on the emotional rollercoaster of horror, despair, hope and action. I have been having a rough ride on these tracks lately. I recently listened to an insightful On Being podcast about how these ups and downs relate. The podcast is a conversation between On Being Host Krista Tippett…
International, National and Local Spotlights on EV Adoption
By: Patty L. Buchanan Wooohooo, my all-time favorite Super Bowl ad was released this week, and it is getting international laughs mixed with awe. GM is using the biggest advertising stage, the U.S. Super Bowl, to promote the idea of national pride in the rapid adoption of electric vehicles. The premise of the ad is that Will Ferrell is incensed that Norway…
The Confluence of Local and Global Climate Crisis Discourse
By: Patty L. Buchanan There was a recent notable confluence of local and global discourse on the climate crisis. On Sunday, January 10, Croton’s Care for Creation Ministry (C4C) hosted a remarkable program with 7 speakers to discuss climate stabilizing solutions percolating right here in Croton. On the same day, there was another program about the climate crisis that was live-streamed with…