Featured Archives - Page 2 of 25 - NEW YORK LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS

DEP Expands Critical Lead Service Line Replacement Program for Low-Income Residents

New York City, trying to tackle its significant lead pipe problem, has announced it is expanding an existing program to replace lead service lines at no cost in targeted low-income and environmental justice areas of the city.

Last month, Mayor Eric Adams announced a $48 million effort to replace privately-owned lead service lines in the Bronx and Queens for low-income families. Water service lines connect directly to the city’s water mains and service line replacement can typically cost more than $10,000. Those eligible for the program have a median household income of less than $47,600.

The program is focused on areas with a high concentration of lead service lines, which carry water from the city’s water mains into buildings where they connect with localized plumbing fixtures. Only homeowners who are contacted by DEP may participate in the program.

“There is no more important mission than keeping New Yorkers and our water supply safe,” said New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner and New York City Chief Climate Officer Rohit T. Aggarwala. “Our water is lead free, but lead in homeowners’ pipes and service lines can introduce lead into drinking water. We’re pleased to make use of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s funding to help New Yorkers by replacing their lead service lines, and we are grateful to the Biden-Harris administration, Congress, the EPA, and New York state for making this funding available.

This is an expansion of a pilot program that began in 2022, where approximately 600 privately-owned lead service lines were replaced in all boroughs except Manhattan, at no cost to property owners.

“NYC has done an extraordinary job of protecting its drinking water source, yet with every lead pipe in the ground, it’s a diminishment of city’s return on investment and a lurking public health threat to those who drink water through it,” said Josh Klainberg, Senior President for the New York League of Conservation Voters. “We are pleased that the city has announced this $48 million expansion of an existing program and urge all residents to respond to DEP’s offer to replace the pipe at no cost.”

The $48 million award comes in the form of a $20 million grant and a $28 million interest-free loan, funded by the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure law, which earmarked $15 billion nationally for lead service line replacement. New York State announced in late-September that it would put in state money to forgive the $28 million loan portion for this award.

Under the program announced by Mayor Adams, the DEP has already begun sending letters out to eligible residents in the Bronx, informing them of this program and how they can enroll. Replacement work has already begun in some areas in the Bronx. Eligible residents in Queens will start to receive letters next year.

Following a requirement set by the new federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, more than 250,000 DEP customers citywide that have lead or galvanized steel, or have unknown service line materials will receive letters informing them how they can take steps to protect themselves against lead poisoning.

These steps include:

Running tap water in the morning until it becomes colder, usually taking 1 to 2 minutes. The colder water is an indication that the water sitting in your home pipes overnight has been flushed out and that fresh water from the city’s water mains is now flowing into your home and is safer to drink.
Clean the faucet’s screen (also known as an aerator) periodically. In some homes, small particles containing lead can get trapped in these devices.
Use a water filter certified by the NSF or UL for lead removal, such as a Brita filter. These can either be installed under a sink or used in a special pitcher. For more info on water filters, see this article in Consumer Reports.
The surest way to remove lead from your drinking water is to replace your lead water service line and/or lead plumbing fixtures in your home. You can do that by hiring a licensed master plumber.

NYLCV estimates that NYC will receive a grand total of $120 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Unfortunately, this amount of funding will not be adequate. DEP estimates that there are approximately 150,000 lead pipes in need of replacement, making the total cost of replacement $2 billion. In other words, BIL funding will only cover just 6% of what is needed, which is a start but far short of what the city needs. New federal and state funding sources to replace lead service lines will need to be identified to help New York City, and all water suppliers, to fully fund this program with public dollars.

Biden-Harris Administration: Lead Pipes Must Be Replaced Within 10 Years

Last Monday the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the new Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), a major advancement in protecting children and adults from being exposed to lead in drinking water.

The updated rule requires drinking water systems across the country to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years, and it also requires more rigorous testing of drinking water and, critically, a lower threshold for communities to take action to protect the community from lead in drinking water.

“Get the lead out!” said Congressman Tom Suozzi, in reaction to the announcement. “Any amount of lead exposure in drinking water is dangerous and unacceptable, especially for children, and I look forward to seeing the EPA’s new rule ensuring that Americans in Northeast Queens, New York’s 3rd District, and the rest of the country no longer have to worry about this threat.”

In a win for transparency, the new rule also “improves communication within communities so that families are better informed about the risk of lead in drinking water, the location of lead pipes, and plans for replacing them,” according to the EPA.

In order to meet this mandate, water systems will need to have the most accurate inventory as soon as possible in order to line up the materials, labor, and funding needed to achieve 100% lead pipe replacement quickly, efficiently, equitably, and cost-effectively.

Part of that will come from $2.6 billion in newly available supplemental drinking water infrastructure funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which the EPA announced alongside the LCRI. New York will receive $116,298,000 in newly available drinking water infrastructure funding for New York through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding will flow through the drinking water state revolving funds (DWSRFs) and is available to support lead pipe replacement and inventory projects.

“Under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State has made historic investments to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water which poses a clear threat to public health. We support the Biden Administration’s new Lead and Copper Rule Improvements which will further protect New Yorkers,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald. “We look forward to working with the Environmental Protection Agency to help support our communities’ efforts to comply with the rule and provide safe access to clean drinking water.”

In New York, these and other federal funds will be administered through the Water State Revolving Fund. The EPA also highlighted that 49% of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding must go to disadvantaged communities — those most at risk to lead exposure — in the form of grants or other investments that do not have to be repaid.

“With up to 9 million homes still being served through legacy lead pipes across the country, today’s announcement by the Biden-Harris Administration to require replacement of lead pipes within 10 years is a critical step to advancing environmental justice,” said Congressman Jerry Nadler.

There is no safe level of lead exposure and when humans are exposed it can lead to irreversible health effects, including behavior and learning problems as well as serious and long-term physical ailments.

The EPA estimates that the benefits of the rule will be up to 13 times greater than the costs, including preventing the loss of IQ points in children and avoided deaths and heart disease in adults.

“Clean water is a basic human right, and this funding is a critical step toward ensuring all our communities—especially those most at risk—have access to it,” said Congressman Paul Tonko. “I’m proud to have helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that made today’s announcement possible, and I look forward to seeing how these actions will benefit our communities for generations to come.”

Additionally, the EPA is encouraging communities to apply directly for a new $35 million in competitive grant funding for reducing lead in drinking water.

For New Yorkers, this exciting news closely follows a recent announcement of nearly $90 million in State grants for communities to remove lead pipes from drinking water infrastructure. Investments in removing lead pipes will also support the creation of good-paying, local jobs.

“When it comes to New York’s water pipes, we’re getting the lead out,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and our state’s $90 million investment, we’re helping communities across New York stay safe and healthy.”

There have been periodic revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule since it was first introduced in 1991, including in 2000, 2004, and 2021. This latest update is the most consequential to date and finally sets the nation on the path to eliminating the risk of lead exposure through drinking water once and for all.

Or, as Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez put it: “We are building toward a 100% lead-free future thanks to the Biden-Harris administration.”

National Drive Electric Week Revs Up

By Peter Aronson

National Drive Electric Week comes at an important time in our effort to drastically increase the number of electric vehicles on the road.

We hope that the annual event, running from September 27 to October 6, with scores of events planned nationwide, in every state except Georgia and North Dakota, will spark plug everyone’s interest in going electric.

It’s scientifically proven that driving an electric vehicle versus one guzzling gasoline overall reduces the user’s carbon footprint.

“… [O]ver the lifetime of the vehicle, total GHG emissions associated with manufacturing, charging, and driving an EV are typically lower than the total GHGs associated with a gasoline car,” the U.S. Environmental Agency reports, in dispelling myths about EV vehicles. “That’s because EVs have zero tailpipe emissions and are typically responsible for significantly fewer GHGs during operation.”

It’s also important to remember that the tr ansportation sector is the largest emitter of greenhouse gasses in the country, accounting for 28 percent of the emissions total, with vehicles making up 80 percent of that 28 percent.

Events during National Drive Electric Week will allow EV manufacturers to showcase what amounts to more than 40 models available across the country and offer test drives and information for consumers. The events also are for EV owners to show off their vehicles and talk about the virtue of owning an EV.

Dozens of events are planned for the New York tri-state area, from Bedford, West Babylon and New Hyde Park in New York, to Moorestown, Princeton Junction and Flemington in New Jersey to Southbury, New Britain, West Hartford and Old Saybrook in Connecticut. These are just some of the events planned in the tri-state area. To search by zip code to find an event, go here.

“We are urging consumers who are considering buying a new car, those who want to trade in their car to reduce their carbon footprint, and even those who may need a new car in a few years to participate and take a look at what’s available on the market,” said Andrew Williams, NYLCV’s Deputy Director for State Policy, who will be representing the League at the Schenectady event on October 6.

The truth is, with a little planning, you can own an EV and never have to buy gasoline again – in your life. Almost all EVs get more than 200 miles per charge and many get more than 300. If you go on a long trip, you can plan your recharging stops by searching the PlugShares website. If you buy a plug-in hybrid, which has an electric charge of up to approximately 50 miles, then uses gasoline after that charge is exhausted, you can often drive for many days or longer without using gasoline if you don’t drive more than 50 miles at a given time. And even when using gasoline, the overall benefit is palpable. For example, a Toyota Rav4 Prime, a plug-in hybrid, gets more than 60 miles per gallon when combining the electric charge with the gasoline use.

And a significant upswing in EV buying could not come at a better time. While the predictions for the near term are that EV sales will increase this year from last year, the pace of growth is less than it has been in recent years.

In 2017, the total number of EVs sold was 64,862, and the number of hybrids purchased was 451,133. By 2020, those two numbers had jumped to 257,872 for EVs and 507,835 for hybrids. In 2023, the numbers were 1,189,051 EVs and 1,405,092 hybrids, a more than 400 percent increase in EVs and almost a 300 percent increase in hybrids since 2020. These are impressive numbers, yet in the first quarter of 2024, electric vehicles only comprised 7.9 percent of the new car registrations, down .3 percent from the previous quarter. California leads the nation with 26 percent of its new vehicles being EVs.

“All potential consumers should attend a National Drive Electric Week event,” said Williams. “It’s also a great chance for government officials – especially those who help make decisions about which school buses, town automobiles and trucks a community purchases – to better understand the market and the benefits.”

For a list of the events by day across the country, please visit this National Drive Electric Week website.

To read more about the EVs available at auto dealers across the country, please visit Plug in America or PlugStar. To learn about tax credits available, visit Sierra Club’s guide. For New York state credits, click here. To find charging stations in New York and elsewhere, go to this charging station locator.

Wishing everyone a fully electric National Drive Electric Week.

Peter Aronson, a volunteer writer at the New York League of Conservation Voters since September 2022, is a former journalist and retired attorney. He is the author of Mandalay Hawk’s Dilemma: The United States of Anthropocene, a novel for middle-grade readers about kids fighting global warming. Kirkus Reviews, in a starred review, wrote: “A scathing work and an essential blueprint for youth battling climate change.” To read more about Peter, visit his website www.peteraronsonbooks.com or to purchase his book, click here.

The Critical Role of NY’s Watersheds

By Peter Aronson

Providing clean drinking water for New York State’s 19 million residents is of paramount concern for New York state officials.

It is a complex process, given that 95 percent of all New Yorkers receive their drinking water from almost 9,000 different public water systems in the state.

This ranges from the smallest towns to the largest cities and requires complex water filtration systems, miles and miles of pipe and aqueduct systems in virtually every locale, requiring daily testing along the way.

For example, New York City’s 8.3 million residents receive their water (one billion gallons daily) from the largest public water system in the country, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes spread across a nearly 2,000-square-mile watershed. The watershed is located upstate in portions of the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains that are as far as 125 miles north of the City. This system consists of three individual water supplies: The Catskill/Delaware Water Supply System, located in Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties; The Croton Water Supply System, located in Putnam, Westchester and Dutchess counties; and the Groundwater Supply System in southeastern Queens. (For a map, click here.)

This system also provides water to the more than one million people living in Westchester, Putnam, Orange and Ulster counties.

In the city alone, the drinking water is tested hundreds of times a day, 365 days a year, according to the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. Samples are collected from reservoirs, aqueducts, treatment facilities and 1,000 street-side sampling stations throughout the five boroughs to make sure the water coming out of the tap is continuously safe to drink.

This kind of monitoring, at various levels, goes on across the state.

Most New Yorkers receive their drinking water from two broad categories: ground water, a source of water taken from beneath the earth’s surface, usually an aquifer, provides drinking water to approximately 4.7 million New Yorkers; About 12.5 million residents of the state, including those in New York City, get their water from surface water, a source of water above ground and open to the atmosphere.

Residents of Albany get their drinking water from the Alcove and Basic Creek Reservoirs: residents of Buffalo from Lake Erie; Syracuse from Skaneateles Lake, one of the Finger Lakes located approximately 20 miles southwest of the city; and Rochester from Hemlock and Canadice Lakes, with supplementary water from Lake Ontario.

Across the state, 36 counties and New York City have direct oversight of the public drinking water. In the other 21 counties in the state, water systems are regulated by nine state Health Department district offices.

Annual water quality reports are required from every community water system. For those serving more than 100,000 people, the reports must be posted online and can be found here. For those from smaller communities, contact your local health department, NY State Department of Health District Office or public water supplier.

For an overview of information regarding New York State’s drinking water, see https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/facts_figures.htm. For more specific details see https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/faq_def.htm. For info about protecting NY state’s drinking water, see https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/drinkingwaterprogram.htm.

Obtainable Goals for an Environmentally Sustainable Life

The world seems to be talking about sustainability. If you Google “Sustainable habits” 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.

Here is our list of important and obtainable sustainability goals for your own life – goals the average person can strive for in our collective effort to reduce our carbon footprints. While you may be thinking I am only one person, the truth is, if we act together, it will make a difference.

Walk or ride a bike when possible, instead of driving a car or using a bus or a train. Obviously, exercise is good for your health, but it also reduces your carbon footprint with every step. If walking or biking is not possible, then use public transportation. (Fast Fact: Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation make up 27 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making it the largest single contributor. Source: EPA.)
Ditch plastic bottled water and take-out coffee cups. Carry your own water bottle and reusable coffee mug. (Fast Fact: Americans buy 29 billion bottles of water a year and dispose of 60 million a day, most of which end up in landfills. Source: Healthy Human)
Start recycling, or if you already do, reread the rules about what items go in which bin, to make sure you are doing it correctly. Recycling is essential to reducing the waste going to landfills. According to the EPA, landfills produce 15 percent of human-caused methane emissions, an extremely potent greenhouse gas. (Fast Fact: In 2021, the U.S. threw away 40 millions tons of plastic waste and only 5-6 percent of this was recycled. Source: Smithsonian Magazine.)
Ditch fast fashion and start thrifting. You’ll be amazed at the beautiful clothes you’ll find at thrift stores in your neighborhood. Worn, broken-in jeans, beautiful blouses, gently-used sweaters. Sometimes you’ll find unworn clothes. And no reason to buy new dishes, when you’ll see beautiful sets of kitchenware piled high on shelves. By buying used items, you are eliminating the carbon footprint created by the production, packaging and transportation of new items, too often from overseas. Here are some tips on where to thrift in NYC: SecretNYC, Thrillest, Your Brooklyn Guide
Buy local – everything – clothes, food, etc. If you have to buy new clothes, buy something that was manufactured locally. This supports local businesses and reduces the carbon footprint left by global transportation. Buy vegetables and fruit at your local outdoor green market. GrowNYC provides an interactive map of the markets in the five boroughs. Although many are closed in winter months, there are enough open where most New Yorkers can find a viable option. To find a market in other parts of New York state, click here. Through Google, you can find a green market in most places across the country.
Start composting your food scraps. As we wrote about previously, New York City is ramping up its composting efforts, starting a Queens-wide program in October and adding compost bins in upper Manhattan more recently. To find a composting location near you in NYC, click here. To find composting locations elsewhere, Google: composting in [add your location]. (Fast fact: Food scraps in a landfill produce 20 times the amount of methane as composted food scraps. Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance)
Eat less meat. Go vegetarian or vegan. Aside from the health advantages to a plant-based diet, this change could reduce greenhouse gasses by a significant portion, because growing and harvesting plants produces far less pollution than raising animals and processing them for food. To read more about why a plant-based diet is healthier and reduces your carbon footprint, see these two studies from Harvard and UCLA.

A few other obtainable sustainability goals: sign-up for paperless statements and invoices from banks, credit card and brokerage companies and any other institution sending you regular paper mail. And if you buy a car, buy one that is hybrid or electric.

We suggest discussing all these goals with your family, particularly school-age children. It’s important to make them aware of the issues and involve them in this process, because over time they will be the ones most impacted by our warming world.

And it’s also a good idea to read about global warming and how it is impacting people and countries around the world. The more we all read, the more we all realize the devastating impact the extreme weather is having on our people and our planet, the clearer it will be for everyone to understand that we all must act now to change our lifetime habits, for the benefit of everyone.

Will the Paris Olympics Earn a Gold in Sustainability?

By Peter Aronson

The organizers of the 2024 Paris Olympics claim these games will be the most sustainable in history.

That may very well end up being the case, as organizers aim to reduce the carbon footprint by 50 percent from previous summer games, by cutting emissions and waste related to construction, facilities, transportation, food, procurement and energy use.

But others claim that the Paris Olympics, like all huge international sporting events (the Olympics, the World Cup), which require vast resources to put on and propel millions to use air travel to attend, can’t help but be bad for the environment. An article in Scientific American even went so far as to use the headline “The Paris Olympics are a lesson in Greenwashing.”

Analyzing the sustainability of the 2024 Paris games depends on your perspective.

The Paris Olympics, if the organizers and all their written reports can be believed, will almost certainly use less energy and leave less of a carbon footprint than the summer games in London 2012 and Rio 2016. (For some reason, Tokyo 2021 was left out of the analysis.) But the games will still leave a significant carbon footprint, because huge events involving millions of people have no choice. Buildings are constructed, vast amounts of resources and energy are used and an estimated 10 million people will visit France for the games, with many millions using air travel.

Flying, by far, leaves the largest carbon footprint per mile traveled of any mode of transportation.

The Plan

The organizers of the Paris Olympics and the Paralympics that follow have outlined how these games will be the most sustainable in history. In presenting a multi-point plan, they highlight that these games will be the first Olympics aligned with the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate change, which has a goal of holding the world to a post-industrial global warming of no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit.)

“Venue by venue, the organizers created a detailed map of required resources, aiming to minimize them and control their life cycle before, during and after the Games,” the Paris 2024 report states. “From spectator seating to tents, beds, chairs, tables and even tennis balls – every asset has been meticulously planned.”

The Paris organizers say that it will use 100 percent renewable energy during the games and apply a “circular-economy strategy” based on the principles of using fewer resources for the games and ensuring reuse of many of the resources after the games. For example, 95 percent of the competition venues are pre-existing or temporary. The new aquatics center will rely on solar panels for energy and will be used to serve the local community after the games. Three quarters of the two million pieces of sports equipment needed for the games will be rented or provided temporarily by sports federations, and the same percentage applies to all electronic equipment, including computers and printers.

In addition, the Olympic Village, which will house 14,250 athletes during the games, will be transformed after the games to a new residential and business district for 6,000 workers and 6,000 residents, with a quarter reserved for public housing.

During the Olympics and Paralympics, 13 million meals are expected to be served, with organizers striving to deliver meals with half the carbon footprint than the average French meal. They hope to accomplish this by doubling the amount of plant-based ingredients and options for athletes, spectators and the Olympic workforce; by sourcing 80 percent of all ingredients from local agriculture sources; by cutting food waste; by reducing the use of single-use plastic; and by reusing catering equipment and food infrastructure after the games.

In addition, most of the Paris sporting events will be conducted within a short distance of each other (more than 80 percent of the Olympic venues are within about six miles of the Olympic Village), minimizing travel distance for athletes and spectators and allowing the use of public transportation.

Vehicles shuttling athletes to and from events will include electric, hybrid and hydrogen-powered vehicles.

However, there is one notable controversial exception to the venue locations. The surfing competition will be held in Tahiti (the Seine is not known for its waves!), and the local Tahitian population has complained that constructing facilities for the event will hurt marine life. And then, of course, there’s the air travel (and carbon burned) to get to Tahiti, 9,765 miles away from Paris.

Different Perspectives

In an article for Forbes.com, Claire Poole, founder of Sport Positive in London, whose work centers on encouraging global sports organizations to take action on climate change, environmental justice and biodiversity, wrote about “Five innovative ways the Paris Olympics are going green.”

She focused on the use of 95 percent existing venues; the Olympic medals being partially composed of recycled metal from the Eiffel Tower; coffee tables made from recycled badminton shuttlecocks and chairs made from recycled bottle caps; the planned reuse of 620,000 items, including 180,000 clothes hangers, 16,000 beds and 7,000 toilet brushes; and the use of electric boats during opening ceremony on the Seine.

“These efforts sit against a backdrop of wider environmental issues such as heat concerns for athletes and spectators, how clean the Seine water is for swimming and calls for major environmental changes from sponsors,” Poole wrote.

The harshest criticism comes from individuals like Jules Boykoff, a political science professor at Pacific University and the author of six books on the Olympics. Writing in Scientific American he said “The organizers of the games say that in light of climate change, they’ve made sustainability a centerpiece of their enterprise. Channeling their inner Greta Thunberg, they promise that the event will be ‘historic for the climate’ and ‘revolutionary Games’ like we’ve never seen before.

“Yet in the city where global leaders signed a landmark agreement in 2015 to limit postindustrial global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, we’re getting a recycled version of green capitalism that is oblivious in its incrementalism, vague with its methodology and loose with its accountability. It’s too late for Paris, but if the Olympic organizers truly want to be sustainable, the Games need to reduce their size, limit the number of tourists who travel from afar, thoroughly greenify their capacious supply chains and open up their eco-books for bona fide accountability. Until then, the Olympics are a greenwash, a pale bit of lip service delivered at a time when climatological facts demand a systematic transformation in splendid Technicolor.”

He said the key question to consider is whether the Olympics can ever “truly be an environmentally sustainable event?”

The answer, he said, by many who study this issue today is that a sustainable model for the Olympics does not yet exist.

And he cited a report from environmental watchdogs Carbon Market Watch and Eclaircies, who have criticized the Paris Olympics for a “lack of transparency and precision” for their claim of using 100 percent renewable energy. Boykoff, quoting the report, wrote that opacity “ ‘… makes it impossible to analyze the true impact of the Olympics’ strategy on climate change.’ ”

Matthew Huber, a professor of geography and the environment at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, points out the irrationality of some conservation efforts, citing the organizers decision not to provide air conditioning for athletes in the Olympic Village, so less energy would be used.

“Prohibiting AC is leading to inefficient and haphazard efforts on the part of some countries to bring their own AC,” Huber said, with the United States, England, Germany and Italy among the nations bringing their own units. “It would be much more rational and efficient to simply provide centralized AC to all participants.”

It’s unlikely that a global event like the Olympics, involving millions of people and billions of dollars, could ever satisfy ardent environmentalists.

However, in analyzing how global warming is impacting the summer and winter Olympics and other international sporting events, Brian P. McCullough focused on the silver lining. McCullough, an associate professor of sports management at the University of Michigan, argued in The Conversation that while the Paris Olympics certainly has its environmental detractors, he says that by promoting sustainability and taking significant steps to be sustainable, the 2024 games have the potential to have an outsize impact.

“Such campaigns can influence people’s everyday behaviors and even increase their advocacy for sustainability in their home communities,” McCullough wrote.

He said efforts to scale back these large, international events are misguided. “… [E]nding spectator sports as we know them, overlook the ability of sports to influence and change human behavior,” he wrote. “In essence, the Olympic Games, the largest sporting event in the world, is a sport sustainability world’s fair. It highlights what is possible for a sporting event through collaborations with international corporations to reduce its environmental impact. And it influences others to follow suit, whether that is other sporting events, leagues and federations or spectators from around the world.”

Green Tips: Going Plastic-Free

Plastic waste is becoming increasingly problematic in our world. Plastic does not biodegrade: it turns into tiny particles called microplastics. These plastic particles can break down until they’re invisible to the naked eye. Pieces of plastic waste and microplastics are ingested by marine life and move through the food web. In fact, you probably have microplastics in your body right now! As time goes on and plastic waste builds up in our natural environment and waterways, it is essential that we learn to cut back and eliminate unnecessary plastic use. Before we recycle and reuse, we need to remember to reduce our use. This week, our Green Tips will help you begin your plastic-free journey.

Take Inventory

Avoiding plastic products entirely is nearly impossible to do all at once. If you’re not sure where to start in order to “pack the biggest punch,” take a look at your trash and recycling bins. Are most of the plastic items that you are disposing or recycling from the kitchen, from the bathroom, or from your child’s toys? Once you know where you’re creating the most plastic waste, you’ll know where to start.

Alternatives

Although it may seem impossible to eliminate plastic in your everyday life, there is almost always an alternative. Take inventory of when and where you can choose another option, and where you’re not willing to compromise. Here are just a few examples of where you can swap and reduce plastic waste:

In the Kitchen

Buy unpackaged produce and use reusable produce bags
Buy in bulk when you can and use glass jars for storage
Swap cling wrap for beeswax wrap
Swap single-use ziplocks for reusable ones
Avoid paper plates or single-use plastic cutlery
Invest in a blender or juicer to make package-free smoothies and juices
See which packaged, processed foods you can make at home
Buy a water filter instead of purchasing single-use plastic water bottles
Limit frozen convenience foods and purchase fresh, paper-bagged bread

In the Bathroom

Use a safety razor with refillable blades
Use a toothbrush that you can buy brush head replacements for, or use one with a bamboo handle
Use toothpaste tablets instead of tubed toothpaste (there are mouthwash tablets, too)
Avoid disposable face wipes and opt for reusable cloths
Swap plastic bottles for bars of soap, shampoo, conditioner, and shaving cream
Swap plastic-stemmed Q-tips for paper or bamboo versions
Use a waterpik instead of dental floss
Opt for a metal tongue scraper
Purchase toilet paper that’s not wrapped in plastic
Use plastic-free feminine hygiene products

On the Go

Use reusable bags (you can wash or sanitize them!)
Carry a reusable water bottle or coffee cup/thermos to fill
Have a metal straw handy (or say “no thank you” to a plastic one). At the bar, tell your bartender that you do not need a straw when you order
Carry your own cloth napkin and reusable cutlery
Bring Tupperware with you to a restaurant to pack up your food (hopefully, you will inspire other diners to make this easy switch!)

Other

Opt for the cardboard-packaged items
Ditch chewing gum made with synthetic rubber
Make your own all-purpose, chemical-free cleaner and put it in a glass bottle
Use natural cleaning scrubbers, brushes, and cloths
Try to repair plastic items when they break instead of replacing them
Switch to a refillable fountain pen
Request plastic-free shipping options when ordering online
Go paperless to avoid envelopes with plastic windows

Do Your Best

In our world today, it is very difficult (but not impossible!) to become zero-waste or plastic-free. Remember that any effort to reduce plastic waste is a step in the right direction. If alternatives seem daunting to switch to, at least give it a try! You may find that it’s not so hard. In turn you can save money, inspire others to make a switch, improve your health by reducing packaged, processed foods, and may find joy in homemaking various foods or products. At the very least, the planet will thank you for doing your part!

If you’re up for the challenge, take our Plastic-Free July pledge to go plastic free this month! It’s a great opportunity to try out some of these alternatives– and you can win a zero waste kit when you sign-up to take the pledge. Best of luck in your plastic-free endeavors!

Have a plastic-free alternative that you want to recommend? Lisa Darrigo, our Program Coordinator, is compiling tips from our members and wants to hear from you! Email Lisa with your plastic-free tip at LDarrigo@nylcv.org.

NYLCVEF Hosts Candidate Forums for CD-16 and AD-109

As the primary election season kicks into gear, the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (NYLCVEF) continues their mission of educating voters through environmental candidate forums, conducting two in recent weeks, one in southern Westchester County for New York’s 16th Congressional District, and one in Albany for New York’s 109th Assembly District.

“Public discourse is the bedrock of a strong democracy,” said NYLCV Board Member Julie Chang, who served as co-moderator for the CD16 program. “Forums such as this enhance our civic culture and give us an opportunity to be meaningfully heard and involved.”

Each year, NYLCVEF works with local partners to host nonpartisan candidate forums across the state. During the 2023 election cycle, the League hosted forums for the Suffolk County Executive race and the Troy mayoral race.

“The most important thing we can do for the environment is vote,” said NYLCVEF President Julie Tighe. “It is absolutely critical that New Yorkers have the opportunity to hear directly from candidates so they can make informed decisions when they go to the polls.”

On May 20, candidates for the 16th congressional district, Representative Jamaal Bowman and Westchester County Executive George Latimer, met at Iona University to discuss their stances on environmental issues impacting New York and the nation.

“Rarely has there been an opportunity to have such a system-wide impact as the clean energy transition offers us,” said NYLCVEF President Julie Tighe. “And that is why this election is so critical. The balance of power is at stake. This November we will decide to either lead the world into the clean energy future, or let the fossil fuel industry hold us back.”

NYLCVEF and WAMC/Northeast Public Radio teamed up to host an environmental candidate forum for New York’s 109th Assembly District on May 30, at The Linda, WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, in Albany. The forum, which was broadcast live on WAMC, marked the first time the candidates appeared together on the same stage as they vie to fill Assemblymember Pat Fahy’s seat, which she’s held since 2013.

Fahy – who is running for the New York Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Neil Breslin – has been an outspoken advocate for policies to protect New York’s environment and help the state meet its CLCPA goals and transition to a clean energy economy. Whichever candidate assumes her role in AD-109 will have big shoes to fill.

With WAMC’s Ian Pickus moderating, Tighe and WAMC reporter Lucas Willard asked the candidates questions to get at the heart of environmental concerns in the Capital Region.

“We are proud to once again partner with the League to offer this forum, a service to listeners and voters in the district alike,” said WAMC’s Interim CEO Stacey Rosenberry.

Read coverage and listen to the radio broadcast from WAMC, or watch our video for a view of the forum from inside The Linda.

A Farm Friendly and Sustainable Spring

By Peter Aronson

Buying locally produced food and dining at farm-to-table restaurants is one way we can all work together to fight climate change.

Here we will offer tips on how you can turn the warm weather months into an educational farm-to-table extravaganza.

You can start out by visiting one of the many urban farms in New York City or elsewhere in the state, and then you can dine at one of the many farm-to-table restaurants.

Eating locally produced foods helps to cut down on one of the largest contributors of climate change: Transportation. Transporting food great distances to the East Coast is one of the leading sources of carbon pollution. Eating locally produced food, at home and in restaurants, is one way to drastically reduce that carbon footprint.

You can start your educational adventure by visiting a wonderful hidden gem along the Westside Highway, at 34th Street, where the seven-acre Javits Convention Center rooftop garden provides a stirring view of the Hudson River. Few people know that the facility has one of the largest green roofs in the United States and that it includes a one-acre farm. The area, a sanctuary to dozens of local and migratory birds, grows up to 50 crops a year to provide, literally, rooftop-garden-to-table food for events at the Javits Center.

The roof is open to tours April-November. The cost is $5. Great for a family outing.

If you live in Brooklyn or wish to visit, there’s the 6,000-square foot Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Greenpoint. The organic farm, a non-profit sitting atop a warehouse, runs a weekly market and sells its produce to local restaurants. They also accept volunteers. For more info: http://rooftopfarms.org/volunteer/.

There’s also Brooklyn Grange farms, with two locations open to the public, at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and in Sunset, Queens. The multi-acre organic farms offer a great variety of public events, from tours and yoga to events such as weddings. They produce more than 100,000 pounds of vegetables a year for its farmer’s market and host events.

Or you can take the family to the 40,000-square-foot Randall’s Island Urban Farm. It’s open on weekends from 10-4. They offer free events where you can learn about urban gardening, composting, sustainable agriculture, and even rice paddies, which the farm has.

Or, if you want to be more adventurous, try volunteering at NYC’s Billion Oyster Project, which is restoring the devastated oyster reefs to New York Harbor. The oysters, through their own filtering system, naturally clean the harbor water and their reefs protect the shoreline from erosion. To learn more why oysters are environmentally important to New York waterways (they are called “ecosystems engineers”), click here: https://www.billionoysterproject.org/ecosystem-engineers.

To explore volunteering, click here: https://www.billionoysterproject.org/volunteer.

If you live in or want to visit the greenest borough in New York City, wander over to the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden on Staten Island. The center, which has 14 botanical gardens on its 83-acre campus, is open seven days a week, dawn to dusk, and is free to enter. For more info, visit https://snug-harbor.org/hours/. And if you want to volunteer in a beautiful, outdoor setting, visit https://snug-harbor.org/volunteer/.

Snug Harbor includes the 2.5 acre Heritage Farm. To volunteer at the farm’s composting program, click to learn more: https://snug-harbor.org/heritage-farm/

If you want to learn more about bees or beekeeping, visit the hives in Bryant Park. You’ll learn about how bees help make our plants healthier and more beautiful.

If you want to take a short boat ride south, visit the one-acre urban farm on Governors Island, known as the GrowNYC Teaching Garden. They offer teaching events for kids and older adults and is open to the general public as well. Click here for more information about Governors Island and here for more about the rest of the sustainable happenings in the city.

To learn more about the benefits of farming and locally-sourced produce on Long Island, visit the Suffolk County Farm and Educational Center in Yaphank. One of its stated goals is to help educate the public so as to “pave the way for a sustainable future.”

Westchester Family lists 13 farms to visit with your family in Westchester County.

If you want to stay on a farm in the Catskills, there are plenty of options.

There are family farms in the Albany region. In the Adirondacks, Up Yonda Farm Environmental Education Center is a good option.

To find the best farm-to-table restaurants in NYC, see Wanderly, TimeOut New York, Culture Trip, Open Table, or just Google for your own preference or neighborhood.

The I Love New York website lists favorite farm-to-table restaurants throughout the state.

Happy sustainable eating.

Toolkit Featured: Featured