The green alternative in question
Issue date: 5/8/09 Section: Opinion
To the Editor:
SUNY Potsdam members who care about the environment need to be aware of a big problem in their own backyard: a tens-of-millions of dollars hospital expansion proposal that does nothing but damage to principles of sustainability.
Right now, the village of Potsdam is rushing to rubber-stamp a plan that will not reduce but significantly increase its carbon-footprint for years to come.
The green alternative - which centralizes growth and builds from scratch for efficiency on the old Clarkson campus - also offers the amazing potential of a collaborative healthcare/health-sciences education facility uniting SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton, Clarkson University, and Canton-Potsdam Hospital right in downtown Potsdam.
Clarkson president Tony Collins has privately said he sees merit in the idea. We offer a step by step guide on the website below, see "Questions and Answers."
The carbon-monster plan could be passed as soon as Monday, May 18th. Right now, even a small group of environmentally conscious SUNY students and staff raising new attention could help make a big difference. I need your help.
Global and national efforts will not be able to succeed if local developments undermine them. Environmental degradation is a local phenomenon, and must be stopped everywhere people have the power to do so, as in this case today.
Information is available at PotsdamSmartGrowth.org. I can be reached at (315) 265-2615.
Thank you,
Richard Brummel
(Non-Matric. Fall 2008)
SUNY Potsdam members who care about the environment need to be aware of a big problem in their own backyard: a tens-of-millions of dollars hospital expansion proposal that does nothing but damage to principles of sustainability.
Right now, the village of Potsdam is rushing to rubber-stamp a plan that will not reduce but significantly increase its carbon-footprint for years to come.
The green alternative - which centralizes growth and builds from scratch for efficiency on the old Clarkson campus - also offers the amazing potential of a collaborative healthcare/health-sciences education facility uniting SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton, Clarkson University, and Canton-Potsdam Hospital right in downtown Potsdam.
Clarkson president Tony Collins has privately said he sees merit in the idea. We offer a step by step guide on the website below, see "Questions and Answers."
The carbon-monster plan could be passed as soon as Monday, May 18th. Right now, even a small group of environmentally conscious SUNY students and staff raising new attention could help make a big difference. I need your help.
Global and national efforts will not be able to succeed if local developments undermine them. Environmental degradation is a local phenomenon, and must be stopped everywhere people have the power to do so, as in this case today.
Information is available at PotsdamSmartGrowth.org. I can be reached at (315) 265-2615.
Thank you,
Richard Brummel
(Non-Matric. Fall 2008)
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