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.

By Noor Malik “Transportation and buildings are among the two largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in New York City. If we’re going to be serious about fighting climate change,we need solutions that address more than one sector at a time.” — Julie Tighe, President, New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund If you’ve…

All New Yorkers deserve safe passage to lead pipe removal that is quick, cost-effective, and equitable. The federal mandate is clear; water systems must remove all lead pipes by 2037. The question remains: will the governor and state legislature help communities meet this moment by providing the policies and public dollars to solve this problem?

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.

We’ve put together a list of some of the most eye-opening documentaries about our changing climate and its impacts on communities and ecosystems around the world. Check it out!

Water is one of our most precious resources; from streams and lakes to the water that flows from our taps, NYLCV and NYLCVEF are committed to protecting our water through advocacy, civic engagement, and our educational programming. On the federal level, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) provides resources for local water projects around…

A growing body of research shows that many feminine care products contain potentially harmful chemicals—including parabens, dioxins, phthalates, undisclosed fragrances, and more—that may lead to cancer, reproductive issues, disrupt hormones, or cause allergic reactions. These products—tampons, pads, sprays, wipes, washes, etc.—are used by the vast majority of women throughout their adult years in the U.S.,…

From Long Island to Niagara Falls and the high peaks of the Adirondacks, New York is full of opportunities to explore natural spaces and connect with the environment. Below is a short list of a few of our favorites, and some tips for planning your spring trek to the trails.  The Adirondack Park is the…

Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, which means time for fun social gatherings and celebration. However, with social gatherings it is easy to forget to be environmentally friendly. Beer bottles, plates, cups, food, and decorations can all turn into polluting waste if not disposed of properly.

Spring cleaning is our time of year to transition from winter to spring: to clean out our closets, to declutter our spaces, to swipe clean our floors, and sweep out the previous season from our homes. Unfortunately, many of these chemicals and household cleaners we use leave an invisible and insidious chemical trail in their…

In our last article on pets, we discussed the carbon paw-print of cats and dogs. For this week’s green tip, we delve into the aquariums — and the depths of the oceans — to investigate the environmental impact of our everyday pet fish. The 25,000 fish we know of on earth and the 15,000 we…

We know that opening up the rabbit hole that is the environmental impact of pets can really be a hair-raising proposition, so we have compiled a list of seven tips to help you become an eco-friendly pet owner and pet-care consumer.

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.

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