Issue Position: Climate, Resiliency, and Sustainability

Issue Position

While President Trump and Republicans continue to deny the reality of climate change, New York must take bold action and lead the way to combat climate change, increase our sustainability and resilience, and pursue environmental justice. We must expand our use of renewable energy, lead innovation in green technology and jobs, increase our resilience and preparation for extreme weather events and flooding, and ensure that communities of color and low-income communities don't bear the brunt of these threats.
STATS
By 2050, New York aims to reach 50% renewable energy.
Climate change is already causing flooding, extreme weather events, and heat waves. These pose a direct danger to our communities -- especially to children and older New Yorkers.
Each New Yorker throws away an average of 20 single-use plastic bags every week, twice the national average!
Sandy caused $65 billion in damage in the U.S. It damaged 650,000 homes.
ACTION
Pass the Climate and Community Protection Act which would expand renewable energy, eliminate human-caused greenhouse gases by 2050, create green jobs, and increase resiliency. This bill has passed the Assembly three times, but stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Ensure that everyone -- including communities of color and low income communities -- has access to renewable energy. This means supporting programs such as NY-Sun and NYSERDA's efforts to make community solar affordable for low-income communities.
Create a corporate polluter fee that would fund sustainability projects and an energy rebate for low-income New Yorkers.
Ban plastic bags and create a 5-cent fee on paper bags to reduce plastic waste statewide. New Yorkers who pay with food stamps would be exempt from the fee.
Increase environmental regulation and enforcement, especially of industrial chemicals.
Reduce food waste and expand composting programs in New York State. We should require food service facilities operated or contracted by the state to compost or donate leftovers, and help community groups and local governments purchase compost infrastructure.
Prevent future fossil fuel infrastructure development, including pipelines for fracked gas.
Support community groups that help reduce waste in parks and public spaces.
Invest in public transportation.

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