Just Another April Fool 

Mother Nature sure is fooling us with her “winter-one-day/spring-the-next” behavior. We worry about what it portends for future generations, this unpredictability, and its ties to climate change. But just for now, be an April Fool, allowing yourself to fall in love with the blue skies, the warming earth, the uprise of the crocus and daffodil. Take solace in the work that so many are undertaking to address these climate issues. Here at InterFaith Works, we are dedicated to doing our part on James Street in Syracuse: 

• Just this year, we completed our Save the Rain parking lot project which is now putting 1,000,000 gallons of water back into the earth’s underwater streams and water table and saving that amount from the storm sewer overflow. (Thanks, County Executive McMahon and the Save-the-Rain team headed up by Jed Walsh.) 

• By the fall we will have four Electric Vehicle charging plugs, available to the public in our neighborhood, the only ones for a mile around. (Thanks, National Grid.) 

• Our staff is organizing a “No Cars All-Stars” initiative to encourage our employees to carpool, bike, ride the bus, or walk to work. (Thanks IFW SPARK staff team.) 

• We purchased glassware and dishes to decrease the amount of non-recyclable waste. (Thanks, IFW Staff Environmental Committee.) 

• We replaced all the lights in our building with LED light fixtures to reduce energy use and brighten our offices. (Thanks, National Grid grants team.) 

These are but a few of the initiatives we are pursuing, with the help of our staff who are dedicated to preserving the future for everyone.