Yonkers Insider: New York League of Conservation Voters: Environmental News for March 21st.

 

Here’s what we’re reading this week:

NYLCV Releases 2021 NYC Council Environmental Scorecard  The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) has just released its 2021 NYC Council Environmental Scorecard. NYLCV is the only organization that releases a scorecard evaluating NYC Council Members on their support of environmental issues. Its assessment of the Council’s record is important for determining which Council Members are working to protect New York City’s environment and which are not.  Of the thirteen bills, used to evaluate each Council Member in 2021, eight were passed. Read More

Green Tips: Sustainable Spring Cleaning  As Spring approaches, spring cleaning is on everyone’s minds. Unfortunately, many conventional cleaning products contain chemicals that are harmful to the environment and to humans. Most cleaning products come in plastic and non-renewable containers, only creating unnecessary waste. They can also be extremely expensive. Here are some tips to keep your 2022 spring cleaning healthy for the environment, your family, and your wallet.  Read More

In 2019, the Governor proposed a $3 billion bond act to help shore up water and sewer infrastructure in need of being strengthened as extreme weather is expected to only grow in the coming years. Gov. Kathy Hochul added $1 billion to the proposal. Democrats in the state Legislature want to add even more. The one-house budget resolutions released by the two chambers of the Legislature could wind up doubling the original proposal, which had been shelved in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial uncertainty created by the crisis.  In the state Assembly, Democrats proposed a $5 billion borrowing plan. In the state Senate, the bond act would reach $6 billion. Known as the Environmental Bond Act, the provision would have to be given final approval by voters in a referendum.    (Spectrum News)

Last year was a mixed bag for the environment. On one hand, the New York City Council passed several bills that were top priorities for environmental advocates — from phasing out the use of gas in new construction to electrifying school buses by 2035. But it fell short on several other priorities, particularly efforts to improve composting and reduce plastic waste in New York City. The results were captured in the New York League of Conservation Voters’ 2021 scorecard, which tracks the Council’s voting record on top environmental priorities.  The scorecard, first reported by POLITICO, shows that the environmental voting record in the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens improved from the year before. But Manhattan saw a decline, even though it remains the highest scorer of the boroughs. Overall, the Council passed 62 percent of the bills that were deemed a priority from the organization.   (Politico)

A coalition of environmental organizations and labor unions is making a final push in the coming weeks to gain the approval of a clean fuel standard in the state budget with the goal of reducing carbon emissions in New York state.  The measure is meant to reduce emissions by addressing the carbon intensity of motor fuels with the blending of low-carbon alternatives. A version of the proposal, which has been backed by state Sen. Kevin Parker and Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner in the state Legislature, was included in the state Senate's budget proposal this week.  For environmental organizations, the measure has been part of a broader goal to shift the state to renewable sources of energy in the coming decades. That shift will include how cars, trucks and other vehicles are powered.  Labor unions are aso backing the proposal, pointing to the potential it has of creating jobs.      (Spectrum News)