The Register-Star has a story up this week about a presentation on Climate Smart Communities by Mark Lowrey of the New York state Office of Climate Change last week that reminded listeners that, because the Hudson River is tidal all the way to Troy, our riverfront communities could very well be facing sea level rises of three feet or more by the end of the century, wreaking havoc on riverside facilities from train tracks and wastewater treatment plants to marinas, homes, and roadways. And that, reporter Bob Green writes, is "just one of several effects of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere which are now being measured and forecast with better accuracy than ever before." Lowrey’s message to officials and planners who turned out at Town Hall was that, as the science and data become more reliable, there is much to be done at the local level. Planners should “take the impacts into account” when designing long-lived infrastructure and also when making decisions which impact emissions of CO2 whether by vehicles, buildings, or utility usage, Lowrey said. “Local governments will play a critical role,” he said, urging all municipalities can take advantage of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), which “provides technical assistance to towns that want to reduce energy use, which reduces greenhouse emissions,” and operating costs, he said.