ITHACA, N.Y. — Steeped in the waters of the Finger Lakes, and raised among their rolling hills, Yvonne Taylor knows just how precious the nature that surrounds her is. For her commitment to keeping titans of industry from changing that, she’s now been recognized as one of the most influential climate leaders in the country. 

Taylor, the co-founder and vice president of advocacy group Seneca Lake Guardian, was named to Grist’s List of National Climate Leaders, one of the most prominent environmental awards in the country.  

“This is a well-earned recognition that certainly is not just nearly deserved by myself, but for everybody who has stood together with us and raised their voices about these very critical concerns,” Taylor said in an interview with The Ithaca Voice.

Taylor was introduced to environmental advocacy during the anti-fracking movement, which culminated in a New York State fracking ban in 2010. Seneca Lake Guardian was formed that same year in response to a proposed gas storage and transport hub in the Finger Lakes, which they were also instrumental in halting. 

The storage facility was slated to be built across the lake from her family’s property, where she one day hopes to build a home. 

“It was at that moment that I realized that you shouldn’t look for someone else to do what you know is right,” she said. “You should do it yourself.”

After that, Seneca Lake Guardian also successfully opposed a proposed garbage incinerator facility in the town of Romulus, between Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake, Taylor said.

“It’s been like playing Whack-A-Mole,” she said. “The community itself continues to show up and stand together time and time again as we fight these predatory corporations that are here to exploit our clean air and clean water for their own private profit at our expense.”

Most recently, Taylor and Seneca Lake Guardian have taken up opposition against cryptocurrency mining in the region. Over on Seneca Lake, the Greenidge Generation facility, a previously mothballed gas-fired power plant, was revived in order to fuel a cryptocurrency mining facility on site. 

As reported by Grist, “it has been an uphill battle,” but with support from State Assemblyperson Anna Kelles, the group successfully pushed for a two-year moratorium on refiring fossil fuel power plants for cryptocurrency mining in 2022. The group also led the fight to get Greenidge’s air permit denied by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation. 

Despite their efforts, the plant has continued to operate. 

In 2022, Taylor also launched the National Coalition Against Cryptomining. The coalition is now helping 22 states across the country fight the development of data centers in their local communities. 

However, the volatility in the cryptocurrency industry has forced companies involved in data center development to switch gears and use the existing infrastructure to develop artificial intelligence (AI). Similar to cryptocurrency mining facilities, AI data centers require massive amounts of energy and, usually, large sources of water to cool down their computers. 

Taylor said the recent proposal to redevelop the Milliken Station power plant in Lansing into an AI data center is “a horrible idea.” She compared the situation at this site to what happened in Seneca Lake when the plan to redevelop Greenidge into a cryptocurrency mining facility was first proposed. 

On Thursday, Sept. 25, Taylor attended the Clinton Global Initiative as part of New York Climate week to receive her award.

From in between sessions at the conference, Taylor was receiving updates from attendees of a Lansing Town Board meeting last week, which was held to discuss a 1-year moratorium on new developments. The vote on the moratorium will impact the redevelopment of the formerly coal-fired power plant into an AI data center, which Taylor was critical of because of the associated environmental concerns.

Other recipients of the recognition include Dan Zhu, the chief resilience officer for the City of Gainesville, Florida, Bonnetta Adeeb, a retired school teacher sowing the seeds of food sovereignty, and Nadezna Ortega, who’s helping Filipino immigrants in Hawaii recover from the  deadly wildfires that burned through Maui in 2023. 

“As a person who’s concerned about climate and the environment, you’re mired down in the negativity and all of the dire threats, and it seems so overwhelming,” Taylor said. “Well, here at this Clinton Global Initiative, I have been nothing but uplifted, inspired and motivated to continue to be committed, to continue to inspire others and to deliver on the goals that are so important to us.”