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.

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. 

In New York City, the general election is coming up. Election day is November 4, and early voting runs from October 25- November 2. This year, in addition to candidates running for office, there are six proposals on the ballot. NYLCVEF is hosting an educational webinar with more information on Wednesday, October 22. RSVP to join. 

By Liam McGowan Electric school buses (ESB’s) are rolling in, and with them, significant beneficial changes. Brand new data from the World Resources Institute (WRI) and Carleton University solidifies electric school bus benefits over diesel buses.  This new study from WRI shines a light on what states and counties stand to gain from a transition…

Fall is often ripe with an abundance of food and filled with activities such as apple picking and pumpkin pie baking. However, with abundance also comes food waste that , with some careful planning, can be eliminated.

Thanksgiving is a day for spending time with friends and family, celebrating the harvest, showing gratitude, and this year, being green! However you choose to celebrate, we hope that you’ll keep these easy tips in mind as your way to say thanks to Mother Nature for giving us a great, green planet.

The holiday season is nearly in full force. While this time of year is filled with family, friends, and celebrations, it can also be filled with over-consumption and waste. From sustainable dinner parties to gift wrapping, here are some small ways to keep good green habits during the holidays.

With Daylight Saving Time ending this weekend, darker, cooler days are on the way. It’s natural to use more energy this time of year, but there are cheap and easy things you can do to keep your fall footprint low. Improving your home’s energy efficiency is a win for the environment and your wallet.

For this ghoulish season, makeup is a necessity. However, all of this personal-care can take a toll on the environment. To help you navigate the scary world of cosmetics, we’ve made a guide to sustainable purchasing in the beauty industry.

Halloween is right around the corner, and as you decide what costume you’ll wear we wanted to remind you not to forget about the environment! Check out our tips below for easy, cheap, and fun ways to lower your Halloween footprint.

Autumn in New York is a spectacular time to get outdoors and enjoy the many activities New York has to offer, from walking and bicycling to the numerous events and festivals. Peep our suggestions below for walking, hiking, and cycling trails that offer great views, as well as some family-oriented activities.

NYLCVEF teamed up with New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and other partners to draft a report on the negative health impacts of lead poisoning in NYC and review the city’s enforcement of its lead poisoning prevention law. The report found that city agencies have largely failed to enforce the primary prevention measures of the law.

Many pieces of jewelry are designed to last only a short period of time before falling apart. Gems can be unethically sourced, which means they were obtained in an unsustainable way that harms workers or the environment. To avoid these harmful practices, we’ve compiled some tips for starting a collection that not only looks great but has less of a footprint on the planet as well.

On Monday, September 24th, we held a policy forum as part of our Clean Buses for Healthy Niños campaign for electric school buses in environmental justice communities. Panelists discussed the impacts of diesel pollution and pathways towards transitioning to an electric school bus fleet. Read the recap here,

Get Involved

THANK YOU TO OUR PLATINUM CORPORATE PARTNERS