Take the Pledge Now

People across the Finger Lakes Region are deeply concerned about the prospect of extensive drilling for natural gas in the vast Marcellus Shale deposit. The use of hydrofracking technology to force out the gas brings with it significant threats to the health and well being of our entire community. With close to 40% of the land in Tompkins County leased for gas drilling, we are likely to see severe impacts from this extractive industry.

That's why Sustainable Tompkins has joined the call for a statewide ban on hydrofracking until all concerns and all costs are competently addressed by the drilling industry and the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation. However, we strongly believe that we must be willing to take a systems approach to the issue of natural gas drilling. If we want to reduce the supply of gas flowing from the Marcellus, then we have to prove that we are also willing to take the time, and make the investments, to decrease our demand for natural gas and fossil fuels.

Walking Our Talk

Sustainable Tompkins believes that most of the folks showing concern about gas drilling are also interested in living more sustainably - but how do we prove it? How can we demonstrate that we "walk our talk" when it comes to opposing drilling for natural gas?

Sustainable Tompkins invites you to accept the Marcellus Challenge! Join us in our commitment to living sustainably here in the Finger Lakes without harming the home landscapes of other regions.

Together we can prove that we are ready now to move to a sustainable economy based on renewable energy and highly efficient, low consumption lifestyles. Together we can say no to destructive extractive industries ... and say yes to green jobs, responsible lifestyles, and wise stewardship of our land and water.

Sarah Highland, a local green builder, came up with the idea for the Marcellus Challenge as she was driving through her homelands in West Virginia coal country, wishing for a way to help people connect the dots between their own fossil fuel consumption and the damage done by mining and drilling.

We strongly resonated with her vision, as we have been calling folks to action around their energy consumption for many years. Listen to Sarah as she shares her vision for taking personal responsibility for our demand for fossil energy.

Make Your Pledge Today

We're asking you to make a pledge to reduce your consumption of natural gas and other fossil fuels. You can pick among a variety of actions you can take to reduce your fossil fuel consumption for heating, electricity, hot water, transportation, and food choices. We will do our best to help you achieve your targets with periodic updates and resources to help you meet your pledge goals.

The Marcellus Challenge will be made available across New York State. We'll keep a tally of your pledges and make estimates for how much we are collectively reducing demand for natural gas, coal, and oil. And then we'll share our results with Governor Paterson, the DEC, our state legislators, and the media.

Enter your utility data and track the results of your energy improvements over time - and see how your home's performance compares to similar houses in our community! Enter here.

Take the Pledge Now