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.

The updated Lead and Copper Rules issued by the EPA also requires increased communication about the risks families face as well as more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold for communities to take action. The EPA also announced $2.6 billion in newly available drinking water infrastructure funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

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.

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…

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. 

The area encompasses Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and the Great Lakes region and has a population of a little more than 3.5 million people. Our overall environmental goals for the region are to increase renewable energy, decarbonize buildings, clean up toxic waste, provide safe drinking water for all residents, and reduce waste going to landfills. 

It is essential that we learn to cut back and eliminate unnecessary plastic use. This week, our Green Tips will help you begin your plastic-free journey.

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.  

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

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. 

As the leaves start falling, this week’s Green Tip will help you identify trees that may need attention, and bring awareness to common tree diseases.

Autumn is already upon us, and with it comes many exciting seasonal activities. Check out our tips for keeping it green even when the leaves are changing. 

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.

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