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…

Thinking of buying an EV but don’t know where to start? We’ve put together a list of incentives that are available at the federal and state level. We have also created fact sheets on the state of EVs in NY, the EV marketplace, range anxiety & charging, and the economics of purchasing & owning an EV.

On September 14, the New York League of Conservation Voters hosted an environmental candidate forum in Troy, NY, featuring Mayoral candidates Nina Nichols (D) and Carmella Mantello (R). Spectrum News reporter Kate Lisa moderated the program, which was held at the Arts Center of the Capital Region and co-sponsored by Clean + Healthy New York…

With fall almost here, it’s a great time to fight climate change at home with energy efficient changes and upgrades. Even small adjustments made by renters, homeowners and businesses, when added up town by town and city by city, can make a significant difference in reducing our collective carbon footprint. 

There is no safe level of lead exposure and even small amounts can harm a child’s growth, behavior, and ability to learn. All New York public schools are required to test for, report to the school community about, and fix issues concerning lead in drinking water. With kids starting another school year, here’s some information that you might find helpful

This year, amidst all the traditional fun, you will also have the chance to explore the future of clean energy at the “Clean Energy Corner,” proudly presented by the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and its partner organizations. We’ll be there through September 4.

By Peter Aronson Many environmentalists are calling the summer of 2023 our climate wake-up call, with the twin wildfire tragedies in Canada and Hawaii, the 31 consecutive days of 110 degree temps in Phoenix and July, worldwide, being the hottest month ever in world recorded history. “In every corner of the country, Americans are right…

Break out the streamers, it’s time to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the biggest, boldest action our  nation has ever taken on climate! To mark the occasion, the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (NYLCVEF) will hold an event at the Albany Public Library with Congressman Paul Tonko on August 16.

While more work remains, Westchester County can take heart in their environmental trajectory. Whether we’re talking about harnessing solar energy or decarbonizing homes and commercial buildings, or through groundbreaking programs like Westchester Power and GridRewards, or through their myriad waste reduction programs, Westchester is making significant strides towards a greener, more sustainable future.

By Peter Aronson If you are sitting behind a desk, typing on a computer (like I am), then Tianna Kennedy may make you jealous.  An NYU grad, Kennedy is among a small but growing group of individuals who are forgoing more traditional work (and in some cases giving up big city life), to enter the…

Get Involved

THANK YOU TO OUR PLATINUM CORPORATE PARTNERS