Latest News: State Wide

We at the New York League of Conservation Voters Congratulate Governor Hochul for being the first duly elected woman to hold the office of Governor of New York State! Governor Hochul continues to make history as the first woman Governor of New York, but also by her bold support of the environment and is a national leader in the fight against climate change.  

The New York Legislature wrapped up its 2022 legislative session on the weekend of June 3rd, leaving Albany for the year after passing several important bills that were part of the NYLCV’s 2022 State Policy Agenda. 

Each passing day is a struggle against the clock in the fight against climate change, with continuous emissions increasing the already-heavy strain on the ozone layer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2020, transportation made up 27% of the total United States greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, taking the lead over electricity and industry, and contributing to already-dangerous rising temperatures by putting out carbon dioxide emissions from petroleum-based fuel options. The Clean Fuels NY Coalition, led by the New York League of Conservation Voters, was formed to showcase the widespread support for New York State to create a clean fuel standard (also known as a low-carbon fuel standard) and reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector, which accounts for 35% of overall state emissions.

Every year NYLCV and NYLCVEF celebrate the environmental progress we’ve helped create in New York City and across the State with our annual gala. This year we surpassed our fundraising goal for a total of $1.2 million, which will be used to support the work we do over the next year. Over 700 people including legislators, environmental champions, and industry leaders joined us to celebrate.  

We’re all familiar with the yellow school buses of our childhood: the rattling sounds of metal, the squeals of our peers, leather seats that had seen better days. Their presence was an integral part to so many childhoods – so what’s being changed? Transportation is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in New York, accounting for a third of total overall emissions. Not only are these emissions harming the planet, but research has shown that they are also harming New York’s children, leading to higher levels of asthma. 

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities are continuously burdened by the cumulative impacts of multiple hazardous environmental facilities being placed in their communities. Historically, minority communities and economically distressed communities have borne a disproportionate and inequitable share of environmental facilities such as landfills, waste transfer stations, and fossil fuel power plants. These industrial facilities cause significant health impacts such as asthma, lung and heart disease, increased birth defects, and learning impairments. The negative health impacts of poor air quality, polluted waters, toxic gasses, and more are exacerbated in these communities as a result of the cumulative burden of multiple sites. This bill addresses a fundamental issue of environmental racism, that communities of color should not have all the environmental hazardous facilities sited in their neighborhoods.