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The bills, passed by the New York State Senate and Assembly in the 2023-24 legislative session, are rather straightforward. Two deal directly with our collective efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as we fight climate change and strive to meet our state goals of reducing emissions from 1990 levels 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050. We urge Gov. Hochul to sign a bill (S1535A/A4871) that would require the state to install and maintain EV charging stations in all New York state owned and operated parking facilities, including all lots and garages. This would include the 58 park-and-ride lots it operates across the state, many along major highways. Recently, major car manufacturers have announced that they are cutting back on EV manufacturing, as sales have declined. A common consumer fear is that there are not enough EV charging stations to make long-distance travel convenient, or even possible. This needs to change - and change quickly - and having the governor sign this bill is a significant step in the right direction as we push to reduce our carbon emissions. Vehicle transportation in the state accounts for almost a third of all greenhouse gas emissions, the second highest sector. In order to meet our climate goals, this needs to be reduced. 

New York State generates a staggering 4 million tons of excess food annually. This surplus, which accounts for roughly 17% of the state’s municipal solid waste stream, often ends up in landfills. There, it decomposes, releasing methane—a greenhouse gas with 25 times the heat-trapping potential of carbon dioxide. Organic waste in landfills is the largest source of methane emissions in New York. The good news is that the state is not without tools to address this. By diverting food waste from landfills, New York’s Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Program has not only reduced methane emissions but has also reallocated food to those in need, addressing both climate change and food insecurity. But as we move forward, it’s clear that more must be done.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has confirmed that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) Congestion Pricing Initiative, which was set to begin on June 30th, will significantly benefit the environment and reduce traffic congestion by 17%. This significant reduction in traffic volume would lead to improved air quality not just in New York City, but across the entire region, benefiting 10 counties in New York State and two in New Jersey. 

The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) and the NYLCV Education Fund has helped drive significant progress for New York’s environment in 2024. Thank you to all of our members for helping to advance clean energy, clean air and water and a healthy future for all New Yorkers. With just about five months to go in 2024, we’re not slowing down.

The following article appeared in Crain's New York Business on August 7, 2024. It was not all that long ago that the merits of climate science were hotly debated at the highest levels of government. We discussed global warming's impacts in terms of probability and best- and worst-case scenarios, with a sense that any effects were far off in the future.

This position will support the programs team in community outreach, canvassing, and advocacy efforts related primarily to offshore wind, clean water, and voting.

The area encompasses Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and the Great Lakes region and has a population of a little more than 3.5 million people. Our overall environmental goals for the region are to increase renewable energy, decarbonize buildings, clean up toxic waste, provide safe drinking water for all residents, and reduce waste going to landfills. 

After three rounds of federal funding, New York State has received $369 million for lead service line inventory and pipe replacement projects and at this rate is likely to receive at least $645 million in total.  This funding is coming from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that was signed into law by President Biden in October 2021. In total, BIL is providing $15 billion to all states -- at a rate of $3 billion a year over a five year period -- the largest amount of funding ever invested by the federal government for this purpose.