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.

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…

After a year when the climate crisis arrived at our doorstep in the form of apocalyptic hazy orange skies and devastating floods, this year’s story about holiday green shopping tips comes with a dose of climate optimism from a lead author on Congress’ Fifth National Climate Assessment.

Election season is upon us and Our Vote is Our Power! Early voting for the general election begins on Saturday, October 28, and runs through Sunday, November 5, with Election Day on Tuesday, November 7. In the fight against climate change, every election is crucial. 

It’s called greening the grid, and New York State is racing to do this by 2040. New York has committed to achieving 100 percent clean energy within 17 years from now (and we’re counting!) and the state is pushing forward on multiple fronts to reach that goal.

As we head into the final weeks of winter, New York City weather continues to alternate between cool February drafts and warmer, above-average temperatures. Instead of spending the next few weeks holed up inside, spend a day or two outside with all these activities that the city has to offer.

In New Jersey and New York, efforts to increase offshore wind capacity have been met with opposition from groups like Clean Ocean Action and Protect Our Coast New Jersey, who have blamed wind farms’ early-stage geotechnical surveys for the death of nine whales in the past two months. These groups are joined by a dozen New Jersey mayors and a congressman in calling for a moratorium on all offshore wind activity.

Lead service lines pose a threat to drinking water quality. These pipes, which connect water mains to the internal plumbing in homes and other buildings, can expose people to a dangerous neurotoxin when they turn on the tap.

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. This energy generation method provides locally produced power that will create significant progress towards the development of a clean economy by reducing emissions and creating thousands of family sustaining union jobs in the process. 

This winter, New York City and much of the Northeast has experienced not only a troubling snow drought, but also a January heat wave.January 2023 was the warmest January in the city’s recorded history, as it was in Newark, Islip, and Bridgeport, CT; Worster, MA; and Montpelier, VT, and other places, according to The Washington Post.

The world seems to be talking about sustainability. If you Google “Sustainable habits for the new year 2023,” you’ll get more hits than you can possibly read, and more suggestions than you can possibly follow. So we did the work for you.

by Peter Aronson There are several ways to think about composting your food scraps. One way is to realize that by doing so, you are actually – honestly, truly – reducing your carbon footprint and helping fight climate change.  Another angle is that it’s a fun family project that can include the kids and also…

With the first snows of the season already here, it’s time to talk about eco-friendly snow removal. The most environmentally-sound way to clear snow is to do it the old fashioned way: grab a shovel (or a broom or an ice pick) and get to work.

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