New York League of Conservation Voters

📢 NYLCV just released our 2024 NYC Council Environmental Scorecard! It rates Council Members on their support for key environmental bills. While there is more work to be done, we’re thrilled that 8 of our 12 priority bills passed—and that the citywide average score rose to 88%!

As excellently reported by Rosemary Misdary of Gothamist, Rep. Ritchie Torres is introducing a bill in congress that would offer taxpayers a 20% credit for filtration systems that remove lead from drinking water. With the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements threatened by a misguided congressional repeal -- which should be quickly and roundly rejected! -- members of congress should pay close attention to this example of a constructive and commonsense solution to help get the lead out of water now so homeowners and residents waiting for the pipes to be replaced do not risk exposure.

#CongestionPricing has been in effect for over 3 weeks now, already bringing with it faster bus times, fewer cars in the Central Business District, and more funding for transit. The program's implementation is the result of decades of research and advocacy. RPA has been recommending the implementation of a congestion pricing scheme since the 1960s, and has championed its recent implementation since the early 2000s. Kate Slevin, Executive Vice President at RPA, has been among the countless advocates pushing for the start of #CongestionPricing since the early days of her career. As we watch the program continue to unfold in New York City, Kate provides a short retrospective on the journey to its beginning. A special thank you to Riders Alliance, New York League of Conservation Voters, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, Environmental Defense Fund, NYPIRG, Transportation Alternatives, and our other partners at the Congestion Pricing Now coalition for their advocacy! And thank you to Michael Oloughlin, Jon Orcutt, and John Raskin for providing additional images.

ICYMI: A great piece in Newsday from early January about why Long Islanders shouldn't say "No" to battery energy storage systems in their communities. Unfortunately, local moratoriums on battery storage sites keep rising, endangering efforts to upgrade Long Island's energy grid.

Last week, the New York League of Conservation Voters was proud to rally on the steps of City Hall with our allies from the 500+ member Play Fair coalition and many supportive members of the New York City Council. We braved freezing weather to stand alongside a fired-up crowd united in our demand that the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation get the resources it urgently needs and deserves! Our city's parks are severely underfunded, even though they are essential to making NYC a great place to live & crucial to the long-term health and prosperity of our communities. We need to fully fund our parks in the upcoming budget! Special thanks to: New Yorkers for Parks District Council 37 Natural Areas Conservancy Shaun Abreu Erik Bottcher Harvey Epstein Keith Powers Selvena Brooks-Powers Crystal Hudson Prospect Park Alliance Gale A. Brewer Mercedes Narcisse Alexa Aviles

In case you missed it in 2024: Incredible things are happening with Con Edison and First Student on #ElectricSchoolBuses (ESBs) in Brooklyn! Combining solar power with ESBs helps reduce emissions AND supports the local power grid. Hope to see more of this in 2025!

NYLCV Statement on @Mayor Adams’ Preliminary FY26 Budget: "From investments in the New York Climate Exchange and transportation infrastructure to expanding the Bluebelt program and repairing the Newtown Creek combined Sewer Overflow, the mayor’s preliminary budget takes some important steps to shore up resilience and prepare the city for the ever-increasing impacts of climate change. At the same time, more funding for “daylighting” will make streets safer, especially for bikes and pedestrians, which, combined with billions of dollars towards mass transit, will encourage more people to ditch their gas guzzling cars in favor of cleaner commutes. That’s the good news. The bad news is, this is a drop in the bucket compared to what we need to address the full scope of the climate crisis. And while we appreciate the funding allocated for NYC Parks, it falls short of what is needed to make NYC “a great place to raise a family,” as the mayor likes to say. As budget negotiations proceed, we urge the mayor to get the stuff done he promised, which means fully funding our parks and ensuring NYC is a leader in climate action. It’s time for Mayor Adams to put his money where his mouth is."

What does it take to win an ENYA Award? ✔️Leadership: Julie Tighe, New York League of Conservation Voters, by progressing the clean environment through political action and bringing the industry and community together. ✔️Vision: Richard Yancey, FAIA, LEED AP, Building Energy Exchange, by becoming a trusted resource for education, research and events in NYC and beyond. ✔️Innovation: Charlie Marino, AKF Group, by helping customers find the right partners and incentives for decarbonization at 200 Park Ave, The MetLife Building, Rockefeller Center and more. 🛑Check out the full series on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eV3DihhV 🛑Highlights from previous ENYA Awards: https://lnkd.in/e5jWhcdc

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