About

Our CNY Rotary ESRAG Task Force is part of a Rotary Network that is engaging in a wide variety of efforts to protect and improve our environment, with the intention of ensuring a livable planet for our children and all future generations. This website has been created to share information about these efforts and to encourage their expansion.

The CNY Rotary ESRAG Task Force in this region began under former Rotary District 7150 with a presentation that Peter Michel gave at his Toastmasters Club on the Climate Crisis, which Chuck Tomaselli was invited to and attended. Following this, Peter invited Chuck to a Regional Conference of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (founded by Rotarian Marshall Saunders). At this conference, the founder of “RESULTS,” Sam Daley-Harris, gave a talk that impacted Chuck and led to his investigation of Rotary’s actions in the area of the environment. Chuck discovered that Rotary was quite active and had formed an Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group, called ESRAG (ess-rag), back in 2015. A Rotary Action Group is a team of people who are both experts in and passionate about a particular cause, that can serve as a resource to clubs and members looking to do service projects supporting that cause. Chuck learned that we could establish a local chapter for members in our area.

Chuck Tomaselli

In 2018 Chuck formed the ESRAG District Task Force in District 7150 and began to give Introduction to ESRAG presentations to clubs throughout the area. 80% of the clubs heard the presentation.

As environmental sustainability was introduced to clubs, a leadership team began meeting weekly to develop a structure of support for our clubs. A District tree planing project was created and a video to support the project was produeed by the New Hartford Club.

A new venture in our district is the creation of an ECO Club. Sponsored by the New Harford Club and mentored by Chuck Tomaselli, this club had its inaugural meeting on Earth Day with 31 founding members.

The task force team has developed several presentations that can be used by our clubs to facilitate the exploration, planning, and implementation of projects supporting the environment.

Since all of this transpired, then District 7150 has now become part of CNY Rotary, a larger region that covers the heart of the state of New York to include more than 100 clubs and 3,000 members.

This website is meant to serve as a source of information about our accomplishments that can guide our growth. Rotarians are encouraged to submit information about their environmental service projects so that they can be shared with other clubs in CNY and more broadly. Send your info to Peter at peter@petermichel.com.

The Task Force leadership team and support team are currently meeting on Zoom weekly and invite those who have an interest in environmental action to join us.