Late last week City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced her appointees for committee chairs. The most important chairs to keep an eye on for sustainability, and building a greener city, are those for environmental protection, transportation, parks, sanitation, and resiliency. Housing, health, and finance are also important chairs that can help facilitate environmental legislation.
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As New York City begins strategizing for the new year, our new administration and Council Members have the opportunity to start making transformative investments in our environmental infrastructure and resiliency. NYLCV’s newest Policy Agenda lists what issues should be made top priority in the transportation, energy, public health, conservation, and environmental justice sectors, and highlights the legislative opportunities that will get us there. We hope to build upon our progress made last year and continue making bold policy decisions for the good of our community. Below are some of the main points made in this year’s Policy Agenda.
Learn MoreA major focus of NYLCV/EF’s efforts will be directed toward combating climate change by reducing emissions from the transportation sector; centering equity as we fight climate change; investing in parks, natural areas, and green spaces; and striving toward zero waste. NYLCV will continue to advocate for New York to transition to a citywide organic waste collection program, electrify its fleet, expand the Open Streets program, and improve micro-mobility options.
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Read more about The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) and NYLCV Education Fund (NYLCVEF) 2022 State Policy Agenda.
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As we ring in the new year, New York City welcomes a new City Council to preside over its districts. Bills that did not pass in 2021 were filed for end of session, and must now be reintroduced to the new City Council this month. These bills are crucial to preserving the health and prosperity of its people and environment for decades to come, and must be the top priority of each and every council member.
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While the next Speaker of the New York City Council is not officially solidified, Adrienne Adams of District 28 confirmed that she has enough votes to secure her victory. She is set to be the first Black Woman to be speaker of the 51 member body and will bring unique viewpoints and priorities to the office coming from an outer borough district.
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Each year, approximately 40% of food produced in the United States is left uneaten, equating to an annual loss of $218 billion, while approximately 2.2 million New Yorkers are food insecure. Across New York State, restaurants alone are estimated to waste around 25.4 billion pounds of food waste, and grocery stores generate around 21 billion pounds. Food waste is also detrimental to the environment, emitting methane and other greenhouse gases when sent to landfills, making up a total of 6-8% of human-caused emissions worldwide. Not only is the food itself wasted when thrown out, but so are the energy and water used to grow and transport it around the world.
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NYLCV has been working on an interactive map that shows the location of school bus depots across NYC and gives a visual representation of the disproportionate number of school bus depots located in environmental justice areas, areas with high asthma rates, and areas with poor air quality. We took an original map created by the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) and layered on relevant data showcasing air quality and potential environmental justice (EJ) areas across the city. We used the United Hospital Fund Boundaries to outline different neighborhoods across the City.
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