Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D-Utica/Rome) held a climate change seminar on Wednesday, Sept. 4, featuring guest speaker Dr. Ken Mazlen, an associate professor at SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

“Climate change is one of the most serious threats that we face today,” Buttenschon said. “It’s our job to educate ourselves as much as possible to combat the effects of global warming and be prepared for its consequences. I want to thank Dr. Mazlen for taking the time to speak to Mohawk Valley residents about this crucial topic, as well as those who attended the seminar.”

Buttenschon held the seminar at the Jervis Public Library. Mazlen discussed ways to slow climate change and its expected impact on the Mohawk Valley, as well as took questions from the audience. Mazlen has been teaching the sociology of global warming since the 1980s, among other courses.

“We must make communities safer by not only mitigating the carbon emissions in the air, but we must also adapt to our changing climate,” Dr. Mazlen said “We are in a warming world, and we must invest in coming up with ways to help each other if there ever was a natural disaster.”

During the 2019 legislative session, Buttenschon fought to combat climate change. She helped pass the historic New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which sets goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, invests in green energy projects and promotes environmental justice (Ch. 106 of 2019). Buttenschon also supported a number of measures in honor of Earth Day, including legislation to affirm New Yorkers’ right to clean air and water, preserve the state’s fresh water supply and ensure that household products are free of dangerous chemicals (A.2064, A.2286, A.2501-A, A.6296-A).