Citizen's Toolkit

Our mission is to educate New Yorkers and help them become engaged and empowered advocates for the environment. The resources listed here can help you learn about environmental issues across the state and take advantage of the ways you can protect environment in your personal life and by getting involved in policy and political processes at the local and state levels. From contacting your representatives to the appropriate avenues to report environmental hazards to how to register to vote, these pages can help you protect the interests that are most important to you. As part of the Citizen’s Toolkit, we also provide weekly “Green Tips” so that you can make sustainable lifestyle choices. In the fight against climate change, every little effort can help to reduce carbon emissions and protect our planet from the worst.

Approval of multiple new projects, new multi-state leases and agreements, and the nation’s first commercial scale offshore wind project coming online with the completion of South Fork wind, mark the success of President Biden’s Clean Energy Agenda. 

By Peter Aronson We are thrilled to announce that the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (NYLCVEF) will be out on the streets helping New Yorkers celebrate Earth Month in April and Earth Day on April 22. “Every day is essentially Earth Day at the League, but there is no doubt that April…

We welcomed Jessica Wang from World Resources Institute and Ian Fried from CalStart to explore the future of clean school transportation and to discuss the benefits of electric school buses, from reducing emissions to fostering a sustainable learning environment.

As part of our ongoing series of webinars and in-person events on the IRA, NYLCVEF President Julie Tighe and federal campaigns manager Matt Salton recently joined with New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey for an informational webinar to share details about the IRA and how households and our communities can benefit.

By Peter Aronson While a school bus’s roaring ignition and noxious gasoline smell may bring a wisp of nostalgia to some of us, it comes at a steep cost in the form of emergency room visits, school absenteeism, and an overheating planet. The state’s fiscal year 2023 budget, passed in April 2022, established New York…

As New York transitions to electrifying its transportation and buildings sectors, we must consider grid readiness and infrastructure resiliency. This event featured a panel of cross-sector experts who discussed our transmission infrastructure needs. They addressed what they’re currently doing to achieve New York City’s clean energy goals, and more.

By Alexis Hidalgo The Save Our Compost coalition held a press conference and rally at City Hall Park on Wednesday to advocate for community composting. Aligning forces with over a dozen council members, we advocated passionately for Mayor Adams and the Department of Sanitation to reinstate vital funding. Under proposed budget cuts, community compost organizations…

As the New York state parks system prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024, it’s worthwhile to continuously remind ourselves that the state has one of the best public park systems in the world, open to all.

The growth of offshore wind infrastructure, an affordable renewable energy source which harnesses power from ocean winds, is leading the path towards a future of green electricity in New York.  [Register for “Why Wind Works,”  a Lunch and Learn presented by NYLCVEF and Citizens Campaign for the Environment on November 30 at noon.] Offshore wind…

Autumn is filled with cozy drinks, sweaters, fall festivities, and changing leaves. Every year, thousands of travelers in America hit the road or take the train to see the fall leaves. A 2017 survey found that 28% of Americans planned a fall getaway, with “road trips, foliage viewing, fall festivals, and national parks” listed as…

While face masks have been instrumental in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus, single-use masks have begun littering the ground across New York. Here’s how we can reduce disposable mask waste.

Getting together for a socially-distant party is a nice way to celebrate with friends and family, even for small gatherings. We’ve put together a few ways you can make your at-home happy hour more eco-friendly.

The summer isn’t over yet. If you have a swimming pool and are still planning to take a dip in the pool, check out this week’s Green Tips to help you maintain it in an eco-friendly way!

Earlier this year, we published a series of Green Tips that covered how to establish and maintain a garden. Now that the growing season is coming to a close for certain varieties, we’re rounding out the series with tips on how to harvest your garden.

Campfires are an integral part of camping. Check out our Green Tips to reduce environmental harm and stay safe.

Check out this week’s Green Tips on celebrating the nation’s public lands and ensuring that they will thrive for future generations to come.

Freshwater sources are currently under threat. We need to reduce our water use at home to save enough freshwater for all New Yorkers.

In the summer, the days are longer, hotter, and the sun is brighter. For many, protecting the skin from intense ultraviolet (UV) rays is essential to avoid skin damage and burns. Both UV-A and UV-B rays can damage the eyes and skin, and potentially lead to vision problems and skin cancer. With the summer in…

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