Welcome to the Fall 2022 update of the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative. In this edition we look back at how we did during the 2022 season and highlight some post-summer programs and events. 

As a reminder, we have a dedicated page on Chautauqua’s website, climate.chq.org, where you can get updates on current programs and events as well as links to past programs on CHQ Assembly. 

We also have a Facebook group, Chautauquans for Sustainability, now with nearly 200 members. For those who are not on Facebook, know that we will continue to send quarterly updates by email so you won’t miss any important news. 

Thanks to the Institution’s generous donors, we have an excellent resource available to our community: free copies of a special Chautauqua edition of The World’s Littlest Book on Climate: 10 Facts in 10 Minutes About CO2. You can pick up the book on the grounds at the Chautauqua Bookstore and The Smith Memorial Library. If you have a church or community group that’s interested in climate change and you’d like multiple copies of the book to share (up to 180), please let us know and we will do our best to ship them to you. 

Throughout this update several presentations are mentioned. If you would like a PDF copy of any of these, please let me know. 

Thank you all for your continued enthusiasm and support for the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative. I hope everyone enjoys time with friends and family over the holidays. I’m looking forward to seeing you next season, if not sooner. Stay tuned for our Spring 2023 update which will preview the exciting climate programming we have in store for the upcoming Summer Assembly. 

—Mark 

Mark Wenzler 
Director, Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative 
mwenzler@chq.org | c: 202-255-9013 

Programs 

Chautauqua Institution’s strategic plan, 150 Forward, aims to “expand Chautauqua’s convening authority year-round to broaden its impact beyond the Summer Assembly.” Responding to this call, the Climate Change Initiative has kept things going with a busy schedule of fall programs and events. 

Chautauqua Climate Ride: Green Fondo Weekend 

Sept. 16–18, 2022 | Chautauqua Institution 

In September, Chautauqua hosted nearly 100 cyclists for our first-ever Chautauqua Green Fondo, a weekend-long cycling event that benefited regional and national nonprofits working to advance climate sustainability. Cyclists from across the United States, most of whom had never been to Chautauqua before, enjoyed two days of cycling on our scenic country roads, returning to the grounds after each ride to enjoy good food, drink, dialogue and music. Participants were welcomed with an opening night reception at the Athenaeum Hotel that included remarks from Caeli Quinn, president and CEO of Climate Ride; John Jablonski, president of the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy; and Doug Conroe, president of the Chautauqua Lake Association. On Saturday evening, cyclists and Chautauqua community members enjoyed a keynote lecture from Abel Gustafson of the University of Cincinnati and Yale Center on Climate Communications, titled “Polar Bears, Politics, and Apocalypse: How to Solve Three Problems in Our Climate Communication” (send me a message if you’d like his presentation). The Green Fondo was a success, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for organizations working for a healthy environment, and raising Chautauqua’s profile among an enthusiastic new audience. 

Retool WNY: Climate Technology & Manufacturing 

Oct. 17–19, 2022 | Jamestown, New York 

Chautauqua Institution was pleased to partner with the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities in their inaugural climate technology and manufacturing conference in Jamestown, Retool WNY. The conference was geared toward industry leaders, manufacturers, investors and entrepreneurs who seek to advance opportunities in the clean energy and climate technology sectors in the Southern Tier region. Longtime Chautauquan and climate tech author Clint Wilder opened the conference with a keynote address, “Clean Energy and Climate Tech: Building Our Future” (you can find his book The Clean Tech Revolution in the Chautauqua Bookstore). Wilder’s presentation focused on the dramatic decline in the cost of renewable energy, growing public support for wind, solar and electric vehicles, and the enormous opportunities for clean tech investment presented by recent federal legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Moving forward, Chautauqua Institution is exploring with Jamestown BPU a series of educational webinars to educate and engage our region about clean energy infrastructure opportunities. 

CHQ Travels: Resilience & Adaptation in New Orleans 

Nov. 6–10, 2022 | New Orleans, Louisiana 

Chautauqua Travels launched its second departure in November, following our first successful trip to Iceland in July. This four-day adventure was built around the theme “Responding to a Changing Climate: Resilience & Adaptation in New Orleans.” Rising sea levels and extreme weather events are increasing at an alarming rate, making low-lying New Orleans ground zero for climate catastrophe, as the world witnessed with Hurricane Katrina. And yet, because of this existential threat, New Orleans is also leading the world in taking proactive steps to become more climate resilient. The CHQ Travels group saw these efforts firsthand, including massive ecological restoration projects and local efforts to rebuild vibrant communities in places that were decimated by Katrina, like the Lower Ninth Ward. We were inspired by the rich diversity of wildlife we saw on our swamp tour, by the work of the Center for Sustainable Engagement to address and remedy longstanding environmental injustice, and by the young entrepreneurs from Tulane University who started a glass recycling business, Glass Half Full, that is turning old glass into sand for restoration of Louisiana’s coastline. And of course, we did not miss out on some amazing food and live jazz in the French Quarter. 

WNY Sustainable Business Roundtable 

Nov. 16, 2022 | Buffalo, New York 

Earlier this year, Chautauqua Institution joined the WNY Sustainable Business Roundtable, a collaborative of public and private sector organizations working together to demonstrate how WNY businesses can take a lead in integrating sustainability into their operations to benefit staff, the environment, and their bottom line. Chautauqua was asked to lead an engagement session at the Roundtable’s annual summit on Nov. 16 in Buffalo, which focused on “Breaking through Barriers: Resilience in Turbulent Times.” Our session focused on how to influence change and advance sustainability from the bottom up through a process of “Engage, Educate, Empower.” 

Operations 

Electric Vehicle Chargers 

The Institution has been gifted six EV charging stations and we have identified multiple potential locations on the grounds for their placement, including the South Lot, North Lot, Main Lot and Turner Community Center. We expect that half will be Tesla-specific chargers that can be used on all vehicles with Tesla’s new universal adapter, and half will be J1772 Level 2 Commercial Charging Stations. Level 2 charging stations provide a charge at a rate of between 12 to 60 miles of range per hour of charge, depending upon variables like weather conditions. 

The required power source to run these stations does not currently exist and will, therefore, require us to construct new dedicated service for each unit. We are hopeful we will be able to find enough outside contractor support to assist our Buildings and Grounds staff as they strive to install these prior to the start of the 2023 Summer Assembly. We are also working on a new process to organize fair use of and payment for these chargers. Stay tuned for more details in early 2023. 

Bronze-Level Sustainability Award 

As part of Chautauqua’s application to the WNY Sustainable Business Roundtable, we were asked to detail what steps the Institution has taken to make our operations more sustainable. Based on our efforts to purchase green renewable energy, improve the efficiency of our operations, reduce vehicle emissions and other measures, we were awarded a Bronze-level sustainability award at the Roundtable’s annual summit on Nov. 16 in Buffalo. We are honored by the award and know that we will move up in the rankings to Gold level as we continue advancing sustainability at the Institution (see item below). 

Energy & Carbon Master Plan 

The Institution and its consultant, Stark Tech Inc., completed a facility-wide Energy & Carbon Master Plan in October. The plan, containing a carbon reduction analysis, findings and recommendations, is based on an energy audit completed in August. It characterizes baseline energy demand for 10 existing buildings and covers proposed facility improvement measure for mechanical and lighting systems at those buildings. Also included in the plan is a calculation of the energy savings and greenhouse gas reductions associated with each facility improvement measure, as well as a high-level draft proposal for potential solar investment opportunities. Combined with a comprehensive carbon footprint analysis for all major Institution operations that is being developed by the University of Pennsylvania, the Energy & Carbon Master Plan is an important foundation for future sustainability improvements at Chautauqua.