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 term spring cleaning should take on new meaning as we all strive to make our homes and communities more environmentally sustainable. We’ve compiled a list of suggestions to help you get started.

On June 23, New York’s primary elections will determine which candidates run in the midterms this November, when New York will send twenty-six officials to the US House of Representatives. Each year, NYLCVEF helps to ensure that the environment and climate change are front and center on the campaign trail and that voters know where…

New York has seen quite a lot of snow recently! While snowstorms are magical to watch, some snow removal methods unintentionally harm the environment. Read on to learn more about how to deal with snow in a more eco-friendly way.

In this blog we examine Delivering on Commitment: The 2025 NYC Lead Compliance Report, which highlights the City’s progress toward eliminating lead exposure since the launch of LeadFreeNYC in 2019, an initiative to reduce childhood lead poisoning, expand protections, and tighten safety standards. The report highlights what is working, where gaps remain, and what new strategies are needed to move faster.

The holiday season is in full swing! There is usually a lot of planning that goes into holiday gatherings, including parties, religious ceremonies, or small get-togethers. Follow our tips for hosting a more environmentally-friendly yet fun holiday gathering this year.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Check out our tips below to find out how to make this holiday season more eco-friendly. Travel smart  Not surprising, Thanksgiving travel has a larger carbon footprint than the dinner itself. If you have to travel for Thanksgiving, try to avoid using your gas-powered car for long trips: try…

There is no such thing as a “safe amount of lead” in drinking water. And with an estimated 555,696 active lead service lines in New York State alone, the burden of this issue is not equally distributed. In this blog we look at the progress made, the gaps that remain, and the way forward.

The use of road salt to keep streets safe during winter storms has become an urgent environmental and public health concern. While salt is effective for melting ice and preventing dangerous driving conditions worldwide, including here in New York State, its overuse has significant public health and environmental consequences, especially regarding its impact on drinking water.

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. 

Think of all the plastics that won’t enter our waterways because of the small changes that individuals are making to reduce plastic waste.

Millions of New Yorkers will expend energy to stay cool this summer, so it’s important to be mindful of our energy consumption.

Summer is a great time to set new goals. If you’re looking to make more sustainable lifestyle choices this year, look no further!

What we put in our bodies can influence our health. check out this week’s Green Tips on how to shop for, wash, and store your produce.

You may have reduced your physical activity due to quarantine, but you can still exercise safely outdoors. Going for a run or hike can be a great way to get moving while social distancing.

Once you’ve set up your worm bin, it’s important to know how to manage and harvest it. Worm bins are low maintenance, but do require some work.

June is National Pollinator Month! This week’s Green Tips will help you support pollinator populations that are on the decline due to climate change, pesticides, habitat loss, and disease.

Green infrastructure (GI) helps protect our waterways, reduces flooding, and beautifies our public spaces. Communities use green infrastructure to manage stormwater that flows from impervious surfaces like roads and roofs. 

Setting up a garden can be hard work. Don’t let your effort go to waste by not properly maintaining what you’ve created! This week’s Green Gardening Tips will help you manage your garden throughout the spring and summer months.

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