Scores of Southeast Queens residents came to St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Rosedale on July 11, 2013 for a City Council candidate forum on sustainability. The candidates running for District 31 who were in attendance included Herbert Binger, Michael Duncan, Scherie Murray and incumbent Councilman Donovan Richards.

The forum was co-hosted by the Eastern Queens Alliance, a prominent civic umbrella group in the borough. EQA chairperson Barbara Brown and NYLCVEF President Marcia Bystryn moderated the lively exchange.

District 31 faces critical choices on a range of sustainability issues in the 2013 municipal elections. The district includes Far Rockaway and many parts of the Jamaica Bay floodplain, areas still struggling to rebound from the effects Hurricane Sandy.

Other sustainability issues that face the district are the sparse public transportation options, air, water and noise pollution created by John F. Kennedy International Airport, and the protection of Idlewild Park from illegal dumpers.

The candidates highlighted their personal and professional experience with the issues and outlined their strategy for a more sustainable and healthy future.

Scores of Queens residents turned out in Jackson Heights on Monday for the first-ever Queens Borough President Forum on Sustainability. Five candidates, including Tony Arcabascio, Tony Avella, Leroy G. Comrie, Melinda R. Katz and Peter F. Vallone, Jr. spoke.

The event was a rousing success, and was co-hosted by the Jackson Heights Beautification Group. The forum was moderated by JHBG's Edwin Westley and NYLCVEF President Marcia Bystryn.

Queens currently faces a number of unique environmental challenges-particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The next borough president has the potential to play a critical role in making the borough a sustainability leader.

All of the major candidates came to share their beliefs on these important challenges, and welcomed questions from audience members. A wide variety of sustainability issues were discussed-including transportation, green jobs, solid waste management, parks funding, climate change and more.

One item of discussion, the planned CitiField mall, was covered in the NY Daily News.

You can view our photo gallery from the event here .

The forum was just the latest step in NYLCVEF's ongoing campaign to elevate the dialogue around sustainability issues in New York City, both in the current election cycle and in the long term. We look forward to hosting additional forums in all five boroughs throughout the summer.

We would also like to thank our many partner organizations from throughout the borough for their participation and support.

NYLCVEF's Harlem City Council District 7 forum on July 9, 2013 was a great success, continuing the initiative to inform voters on candidate's environmental views. Scores of local residents made their way to the Convent Avenue Baptist Church for a memorable discussion on sustainability, hosted by the Education Fund as well as WE ACT for Environmental Justice.

Nine candidates were in attendance, including Alicia Barksdale, David Sasscer-Burgos, Brodie Enoch, Christina Gonzalez, Joyce Johnson, Mark Levine, Mark Otto, Zead Ramadan and Ruben Dario Vargas .

The panel presented their opinions on a large range of issues encompassing green infrastructure, environmental education and transportation, touching even on issues of public housing and stop-and-frisk.

The forum was moderated by Peggy Shepard, Executive Director of WE ACT, and Marcia Bystryn, NYLCVEF President.

NYLCVEF organized the first-ever Albany Mayoral Forum on Sustainability took place on July 2, 2013.

Scores of local residents turned out at WAMC’s The Linda and countless others listened online as the major candidates discussed their views on the sustainability challenges facing Albany.

The forum also garnered significant press coverage, including in the Albany Times Union, WAMC and the Schenectady Daily Gazette.

To listen to the complete forum, click here.

You can also check out our photo gallery.

There was no shortage of debate between the candidates, even confrontation at times. Topics ranged from the issues of backyard chickens to land banks and much, much more.

The Albany Mayoral Forum on Sustainability was a great success with the help of our co-host, WAMC. The forum was moderated by WAMC’s Dr. Alan Chartock and NYLCVEF President Marcia Bystryn.

Thank you to our many partner organizations for participating in and supporting this event:

Albany Votes

AVillage, Inc.

Capital District Community Gardens

Council of Albany Neighborhood Associations (CANA)

Empire State Future

Historic Albany Foundation

League of Women Voters of Albany County

Parks & Trails New York

Preservation League of New York State

The Radix Ecological Sustainability Center

Transition Albany

UAlbany Green Scene

Well over a hundred New York City candidates, their staffs and civic leaders from every borough participated in the NYLCVEF's Environmental Candidate School on May 11, 2013.

Participants heard from organizations ranging from WE ACT for Environmental Justice, to Transportation Alternatives, to the Center for Working Families to get the latest information on sustainability policies that will help them campaign and govern effectively. We also presented the candidates with our 2013 New York City Green Guide to provide useful information about the issues and the experts working on them.

Click here to check out the photo gallery from this event.

The Environmental Candidate School's final panel featured current City Council members sharing their insider's perspective on how City Hall works, from budget-passing to law-making.

Candidates asked insightful questions about how to solve environmental problems in their communities, and followed up with advocates at the conclusion of each panel. NYLCVEF also handed out a Green Guide for candidates looking for more information about working towards a sustainable future in New York City.

Following our recent (and very successful) Mayoral Forum on Sustainability, the Environmental Candidate School is the latest salvo in the NYLCV Education Fund's New York City Sustainability Program. Keep an eye out for more forums and educational campaigns in the coming months as we work to make sustainability a top priority for the Big Apple.

Following our successful citywide Mayoral Forum on Sustainability, the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund this week partnered with The Riverdale Press and the Riverdale YM-YWHA to host the West Bronx Green Mayoral Candidate Political Education Forum in Riverdale.

Over 100 people attended Monday night's forum, which was moderated by NYLCVEF President  Marcia Bystryn and included panelists Eric Goldstein, Yael Levy and Barry Willner.

Mayoral candidates Christine Quinn, Sal Albanese, John Liu and Adolfo Carrion fielded questions about a wide range of environmental issues, including open space, energy, waterfront access and the Hudson River Greenway.

On May 21st, NYLCVEF will participate in a West Bronx City Council Candidate Forum, where we'll cover sustainability issues affecting the West Bronx with City Council candidates.

Thanks to everyone who attended the West Bronx Green Mayoral Forum, and thanks to our sponsors:

Christ Church

Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale

Friends of the Hudson River Greenway in the Bronx

Friends of Van Cortlandt Park

Hebrew Institute of Riverdale

Kingsbridge-Riverdale-Van Cortlandt Devel. Corp.

The NRDC Action Fund

North Riverdale Merchants Association

Open Space Institute

Riverdale Community Coalition

Riverdale Jewish Center

Riverdale Jewish Community

Relations Council

Riverdale Nature Preservancy

Riverdale Presbyterian Church

Riverdale Temple

Young Israel Ohab Zedek

The 2013 Mayoral Forum on Sustainability -- held on Earth Day, April 22 -- was a smashing success!

More than 800 people packed into Cooper Union's Great Hall to hear the mayoral candidates talk about their positions on sustainable transportation, solid waste, clean energy and much more. We were particularly proud that all of the major candidates joined us for the forum -- underscoring the growing political clout of the sustainability community.

The forum had great write-ups in the New York Times, Atlantic Cities and Gotham Gazette. Click here to check out our post-forum interview on WNYC's The Brian Lehrer Show.

The Mayoral Forum on Sustainability was only the beginning - we need to continue the effort to ensure that New York City remains committed to sustainability through the next administration and beyond.

Hudson Valley residents turned out in force for the NYLCV Education Fund's 18th Congressional District candidate forum on October 9, 2012.

Well over a hundred citizens crowded into Bedford Historic Hall to meet U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth and Sean Patrick Maloney, who are running for the congressional seat that encompasses all or parts of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam and Westchester counties.

You can check out our online photo gallery here.

The pair laid out their environmental platforms, and took questions from a seasoned panel of environmental experts that included Paul Gallay of Riverkeeper, Andy Bicking of Scenic Hudson and NYLCVEF President Marcia Bystryn.

Hayworth and Maloney also took questions from the audience as well as from an online forum hosted by Bedford-Katonah Patch, which served as the media sponsor for the event.

You can check out some of the press coverage of the forum in Patch.com, the Yorktown Daily Voice and the MidHudson News Network.

The Woodard & Curran Foundation generously underwrote this educational forum as our lead sponsor. Tom Francoeur, President of the foundation, helped kick off the program with introductory remarks.

As a nonprofit, nonpartisan and educational organization, the NYLCV Education Fund does not make endorsements in political races. Our goal with the forum was to educate Hudson Valley residents about environmental issues and elevate the public dialogue around sustainability.

Thanks to the candidates, our sponsors and partner organizations, we were able to do just that! Thanks to everyone who attended and helped make this event possible.