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.

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. 

By Peter Aronson We are thrilled to announce that the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (NYLCVEF) will be out on the streets helping New Yorkers celebrate Earth Month in April and Earth Day on April 22. “Every day is essentially Earth Day at the League, but there is no doubt that April…

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…

When we look down at our feet, we may not be aware of the impact that the manufacture, use, and disposal of our footwear has on the environment. With the health of our feet and the planet below in mind, here are five tips to green your footwear and sportswear.

You can have it all this Valentine’s Day: a great date and an environmentally sustainable adventure. Check out our tips for making your Valentine’s Day a green and a great one!

Heating accounts for 56% of domestic energy use and plays an understated role in climate change and energy efficiency. It’s time to reassess our heating and cooling technologies—both for frigid cold and sweltering heat waves.

Looking for specific qualifications is the best way for consumers to use their own sense of activism to reward the production practices they feel are healthiest for themselves and the world. We provide a few explanations of common environmental labels in the food industry, and what practices those labels support or condemn.

While road salt, 40% sodium and 60% chloride, is the most efficient way to de-ice our roads, the compound’s environmental impact gives plenty of room for pause after the snow melts. Road salt reduces the ground’s freezing temperature and increases wheel traction on pavement. Salt trucks deposit nearly 137 pounds of road ice per person…

While they are aesthetically pleasing, and provide a sense of warmth; an improperly maintained fireplace is actually highly inefficient, failing to serve the purpose of heating your home. When getting ready to use your fireplace for the winter, it is imperative to perform routine inspection and maintenance.  For starters, ensure your chimney has been cleaned,…

After the holidays are over, and it is time to take your tree down, don’t simply leave it out for trash. As always, remember to remove all ornaments, lights, tinsel, etc. before removing your tree from your home – the added waste is generally not recyclable and will not be eligible for mulching or proper…

Are you planning on starting 2018 off with the ever-popular goal of working out more often? If so, we have some tips to help you burn calories while staying environmentally friendly. Working out offers countless benefits to the mind and body, but if you’re not careful, it can cause a detriment to your ecological footprint….

Eating green and shopping green are essential for the environment, however, the preparation of locally sourced food that comes from your reusable totes should be accounted for as well. It is very important to have environmentally friendly kitchen habits, and we are here to help! The kitchen is one of the most used areas of…

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