First-Ever ‘Harriet Cornell Climate Champion Award’ Presented

Professor Patasaw Stresses The Importance Of Individual & Community Environmental Stewardship, Her Efforts Have Led To Achievements On The Local, State & National Levels 

Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson presented the first-ever Harriet Cornell Climate Champion Award to Professor Natalie Patasaw in recognition of her decades-long efforts in addressing the climate crisis through education, awareness and action.

Legislator Davidson, who chairs the County Legislature’s Environmental Committee and the Rockland County Task Force on Water Resources Management, said Professor Patasaw’s long involvement made her a clear choice for recognition.

“The climate crisis poses a global challenge but achieving a resilient and sustainable future for ourselves and future generations requires local action,” Legislator Davidson said. “Professor Natalie Patasaw has dedicated decades to showcasing solutions through her tireless educational initiatives, always emphasizing the significance of both individual and community environmental stewardship. Caring for our planet is the way forward to a brighter future and I am grateful to Professor Patasaw for helping to show us the way.”

The vast majority of the world’s reputable scientists say it is crucial to take action to reduce greenhouse gases, the main culprit behind climate change, by adopting sustainable practices and transitioning to renewable sources of energy. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to rising global temperatures. The impacts are regularly experienced in more intense, prolonged heat waves, droughts, violent storms, floods and rising sea levels.

Professor Patasaw has a substantial record when it comes to engaging in sustainable solutions, including work as an energy policy analyst for the Environmental Defense Fund, where she facilitated the largest wind energy contract in the U.S. in 2001.

She also helped launch the Power Scorecard, a website that rates electricity products in Pennsylvania. As a committee member for the Green-e Energy National Standard for the Mid-Atlantic States she developed certification standards for “green” electricity products with energy and climate experts, policy analysts, environmental advocates, and businesses.

Locally, Professor Patasaw was appointed to the Rockland County Environmental Management Council in 1999 and would serve as its chair. During her tenure, the EMC promoted public education  on environmental issues, submitted testimony regarding proposed utility regulations and rate changes, sponsored tours of Hudson River marshes, and identified sustainable and renewable projects for the Green Champion Award.

Professor Patasaw’s other key roles have included membership on the Rockland County Task Force on Water Resources Management, where she joined the efforts to develop a long-range plan for Rockland’s growth and future development regarding its water supply and usage, along with its handling of storm and wastewater.

Professor Patasaw currently serves as the Environmental Justice Chair of the New York State NAACP Conference. In that capacity, she recently published an op-ed in support of the Queensboro Renewable Express, which will, once built, deliver enough clean energy from offshore wind to power more than two million New York homes – enabling the city’s largest power plant to retire fossil-fired generation and reduce local emissions. She also represents the NAACP on the PFAS-Free New York Task Force, where she engages in public education and advocates to state and federal legislators to reduce the limits for “forever chemicals” in our drinking water.

Professor Patasaw is also a volunteer with keep Rockland Beautiful and a leader in her community at Berea Seventh Day Adventist Church in Nyack.

Professor Patasaw teaches at Westchester County Community College, where she serves as Adjunct Professor of the Physical Science Department, teaching courses on physics, natural hazards and climate change. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Science Department at Rockland Community College, where she has taught environmental science, sustainability, and physical geography courses, while also serving as an academic advisor.

The Harriet Cornell Climate Champion Award is named in honor of former longtime Rockland County Legislator Harriet Cornell, who served as the board’s Chair for a decade, and who actively engaged in environmental and conservation issues on behalf of the people of Rockland County.