Our Story
The Central New York (CNY) Rotary ESRAG Task Force began in former Rotary District 7150, now part of
CNY Rotary District 7180 following a presentation on the climate crisis by Peter Michel at his Toastmasters. Chuck Tomaselli—a close friend of Peter’s—attended and became deeply concerned about the crisis. Reflecting on the joy his grandson brought him, he began to wonder what kind of world future generations—his children, grandchildren, and beyond—would inherit. Soon after, Peter invited Chuck to attend a Citizens’ Climate Lobby conference, where a keynote by Sam Daley-Harris, founder of RESULTS, inspired him to take action and, as a Rotarian, led him to explore Rotary’s role in environmental sustainability. Through this experience, Chuck discovered the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG), a global network of Rotarians committed to environmental service, which laid the foundation for the task force.
Chuck Tomaselli
In 2018, Chuck formally established the Rotary ESRAG District Task Force in District 7150 and began presenting to Rotary Clubs across the district. These presentations introduced ESRAG, emphasizing that environmental sustainability is Rotary’s business—as stated by past Rotary International President Barry Rassin. The goal was clear: keep the conversation alive while inspiring action. As the task force grew, Rotarians seeking a more active role came together to form the Rotary ESRAG District Task Force Leadership Team, which met weekly on Zoom to support clubs. With growing interest, the leadership team launched The ECO Club, sponsored by the New Hartford Rotary Club, on Earth Day, bringing together 31 founding members focused on environmental action.
In 2019, the Rotary ESRAG District Task Force launched the district’s first wide-scale tree-planting initiative, The Greening of CNY Project, in which clubs across the district planted trees in their local communities. With support from the task force, a presentation and video were produced by the New Hartford Rotary Club to help guide and promote the effort. Building on this success, leadership team members developed several presentations to help clubs explore, plan, and implement other impactful environmental service projects.
In 2024, Rotary District 7150 became part of CNY Rotary District 7180, expanding the network to more than 100 clubs and 3,000 members, and transitioning the ask task force into The CNY Rotary ESRAG Task Force.
At the same time, the task force launched and endorsed the Rotary Climate Restoration Resolution, calling for environmental sustainability to be recognized as Rotary’s next area of focus.
In 2025, in collaboration with The Climate Restoration Alliance, the task force expanded this initiative globally with the Rotary Climate Restoration Resolution Global Campaign. Since then, the task force has grown to include members from across the U.S., from Western New York to California, and internationally, including the Caribbean, India, and Chile. The CNY Rotary ESRAG Task Force has also adopted peace-building initiatives in collaboration with Peace on Earth by 2030, integrating them to strengthen environmental service projects.
Today, the task force hosts weekly Zoom presentations to keep members informed, inspired, and engaged with the latest climate news and opportunities. The task force is open to everyone, welcoming both Rotarians and non-Rotarians interested in environmental sustainability. Members are encouraged to share their environmental service projects to inspire collaboration across CNY and beyond.
This website serves as a central hub to share accomplishments, resources, and guidance, empowering Rotarians and community members to take action for a more sustainable and peaceful future.