Short film documents story of just energy transition in Tonawanda, NY

Short film documents story of just energy transition in Tonawanda, NY

Residents celebrate the June 2021 hard-won removal of the Tonawanda Cola chimney. photo: Jiangjing Innovation and Technology Park

When I applied for a postdoc at the Earth Institute, I felt that a concrete reason was urgently needed to bring hope to the climate crisis. Future-proof promises and long-term solutions, as noble as they are, are not enough.and Fossil fuel industry accounts for nearly three-quarters of global carbon emissions, I know this is where we have to focus.But I also know a lot Work, Livelihood and Community depend on this industry. So I started thinking, what actually happens when fossil fuel companies shut down in the towns that depend on them?

‘just transition‘ is a concept that addresses this issue, defined as “the ‘principles, processes and practices’ that build economic and political power to transition from an extractive to a regenerative economy.” But what this process of ‘just transition’ actually looks like Woolen cloth? The literature on the subject at the time was mostly theoretical, so I focused my attention on finding real-life examples, hearing directly from those living in this reality. I want to find a community that has or is going through a transition from fossil fuels – I can give a concrete example of, “Not only is a successful just transition possible, it’s already happening!” I want to tell this story in a video format , to make it as widespread and interesting as possible, since this knowledge should not be limited to academic literature alone.

After searching the internet and related databases, I found the town of Tonawanda in Erie County, NY, where residents have been making their own just transition since the closure of the town’s two major coal-fired power plants. The town of Tonawanda is located along the Niagara River and has a population of approximately 73,000, of which 86.6% of its residents are white, 4.5% Hispanic and 4.5% black. The region’s median household income in 2020 was $64,045, slightly below the national average. The energy sector is a major source of employment. Closure of Huntley Power Station (“Huntley”) and Tonawanda Coke, in 2016 and 2018, respectively, meant the town lost $6 million in annual tax revenue, which in turn led to cuts to public programs, school closures and the loss of teaching jobs — all in addition to Previously those other than those who lost their jobs were employed in factories. Despite these challenges, Consequences of Huntley’s shutdown Relatively smooth, thanks to the combined efforts of local environmental justice groups, unions and teachers’ unions, funds from the state Support towns and find jobs for former factory employees.

Huntley Power Station. photo: Andre Carrot Flower

I got in touch with staff and community members in town, including Clean Air Coalition for Western New York (CACWNY), lucky to welcome and gladly agree to collaborate on this mini-documentary project – a video that tells the story of their just transition from their own perspective. We struck a deal with the community, got a three-month sublease, hired a videographer…then March 2020. Due to state and Columbia University travel restrictions, I can no longer go there to learn from community members and shoot documentaries with them. But we got creative and decided to do this work remotely, using Zoom interviews, existing footage and new videos submitted by local residents themselves.

appeared is a Community-led participatory recording processIn addition to participating in interviews, residents of the town actively participated in the entire process, including submitting their own footage, providing feedback throughout the editing stages, and determining the film’s narrative. This aligns with one of my goals: make sure the story is told from their point of view.

As the documentary shows, the closures of Huntley Generating Station and Tonawanda Coke unfold quite differently, leading to two different stories.Where they do overlap, however, is in proving that a just transition is about More than just energy and jobs.

I learned from locals that there were two key elements to the town of Tonawanda’s success in breaking away from a fossil fuel-based economy: 1) an alliance between groups that were often isolated; 2) a focus on health and dignity.

Partnership and collective action among unfamiliar partners such as unions, teachers’ unions, and environmental justice groups eventually won the attention of politicians and policymakers in the town. The coalition says the consequences of industry shutdowns are problems affecting entire towns, not just factory workers. Coalitions mean that politicians have more reason to listen to this broad group (while increasing the risk of losing more votes) than a specific interest group lobbying in isolation. As former CACWNY director Rebecca Newberry puts it in the film, “We need to build relationships, not toolkits”—as organizations work together to make their collective voices and actions effective.

Health issues have proven to be a key catalyst for building solidarity and synergy among these previously isolated groups. As the movie records, Cancer rates disproportionately high for Tonawanda town residents for decadesand Many blame local coal-fired power plants – special Tonawanda Coke Repeated Violations of Clean Air Act and Resource Conservation Recovery Act, and eventually closed its doors due to bankruptcy and inability to pay fines. It’s these health issues that push down barriers between different interest groups and mobilize those who otherwise don’t care about climate change or people losing their jobs. As one CACWNY interviewee recalled during her canvassing campaign, while unemployment and climate change issues did not generate interest (and in some cases, stopped the conversation), “when they found it was affecting them When it comes to their health, they want more information.” Another CACWNY member said that health is often the reason why some people who have not previously worked in civil affairs choose to attend community meetings.

As the film documents, the community has proven that fairness cannot be an afterthought, it must underscore the process and be considered locally, nationally and globally.

While the just transformation of the town of Tonawanda is far from over, it is here that a community-led crisis turns into opportunity. At one point, the town was under the weight of unemployment, economic knock-on effects, severe pollution and deteriorating residents’ health. But residents see unique opportunities in these intertwined challenges.There is growing recognition of this opportunity, for example in reports such as annual reports The Lancet Countdown to Health and Climate Change. Town of Tonawanda proves that health is not just a win-win result support climate action, but also as method Expanding discussions around energy transition and climate change. In this way, the inevitable and necessary phasing out of fossil fuels becomes not only a means of decarbonization, but a new kind of construction – a way to uphold everyone’s right to a clean and healthy environment, prosperity and dignity.

Liv Yoon was a postdoctoral research scholar at Columbia University’s Earth Institute at the time of writing the film. She is now a policy analyst with Health Canada’s Climate Change and Innovation Directorate, and in January 2023 will be an assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia.