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 keeping with the holiday spirit, we are offering tips on how best to shop for family and friends, while also giving back to the environment. A good way to do this, as we move collectively towards a more sustainable and equitable future, is to consider the carbon footprint of whatever you are thinking of buying.

Following the historic announcement by the federal Environmental Protection Agency of the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, a member of the NYC Coalition to End Lead Poisoning, released an interactive map and a comprehensive report to help New York City residents determine if the building they…

At the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (NYLCVEF), we believe in the power of voting. Voting is more than just casting a ballot; it’s an act of hope and a commitment to shaping the world around us. During the 2024 election, through our largest voter awareness campaign yet, Our Vote is Our…

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…

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…

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. 

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…

With snow storms hitting so much of the state, snow and ice removal has officially become a necessary chore across New York. If you live in New York City, you should know that the city requires building and business owners to remove snow and ice on public walkways in front of their buildings. The city…

In 2003, California became the first state to an enact a law requiring regarding proper disposal of Electronic Waste. Since then 25 states have followed suite, mandating that electronic waste, including old televisions and computers, be disposed of properly. These laws seek to prevent electronic waste and the harmful chemicals they contain , such as…

With travel, gift giving, and many big meals, the winter holidays are one of the times of the year with the highest rates of personal consumption. Because of this heightened consumption rate, the holidays  are the time when being conscious of sustainable practices will have the greatest total impact. Here are some holiday practices you can take to generate an impact, and others that can help foster a sense of love and consciousness toward the environment.

Weatherproofing your home or apartment is an important and cost-effective step to ensure you comfort and safety in the winter. With temperatures quickly declining and winter around the corner, here are some helpful tips to improving the efficiency of your home this season. No Wind Chills Inside One of the most effective ways of sealing…

With Thanksgiving around the corner, consumption is on everyone’s mind. The food, the drinks, the supplies–consumption will be at an all time high on November 23. It is predicted that each family in America will spend $50.11 on Thanksgiving dinner food alone and that the average American will eat 4,500 calories of food. Even though…

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