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.

The greenhouse gasses that we all emit into the air by driving our gas-powered cars, flying to vacations, using non-renewable energy in our homes, etc., etc., is warming the air and water around us and propelling us to the hottest temperatures in recorded history (2024 is shaping up to be the hottest year on record, surpassing 2023), increasing droughts, increasing extreme precipitation and the number of hurricanes (causing increased flooding), and increasing the number of wildfires.

The area encompasses Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and the Great Lakes region and has a population of a little more than 3.5 million people. Our overall environmental goals for the region are to increase renewable energy, decarbonize buildings, clean up toxic waste, provide safe drinking water for all residents, and reduce waste going to landfills. 

The program was launched in 2009 to encourage local governments to commit to agreeing on a 10-step climate change pledge by passing a local resolution. The certification component was added five years later, on Earth Day in 2014, to further encourage local municipalities to go beyond the pledge by completing certain municipal actions. Applications are due on July 31.

It is essential that we learn to cut back and eliminate unnecessary plastic use. This week, our Green Tips will help you begin your plastic-free journey.

By Peter Aronson The annual and global Plastic Free July is upon us and it couldn’t arrive soon enough. All you have to do is delve into recent scientific literature and articles about plastic pollution, particularly the omnipresence of microplastics, and you’ll realize it’s an international environmental problem that most likely endangers the health of…

By Peter Aronson As summer begins, we are continuing to plug the wonders of New York State for weekend getaways or close-to-home eco-friendly vacation options. This week we focus on the Empire State Trail, the 750-mile sideways-shaped T that runs across the entire state, from Buffalo to Albany, via the Erie Canalway Trail, from New…

By Peter Aronson According to weather forecasters, New York City is about to experience a hotter than average summer and it may, in fact, be one of the hottest on record. AccuWeather projects that the city likely will experience 21-26 days this summer of at least 90 degrees, double from the 2023 total of 12…

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. 

As the primary election season kicks into gear, the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (NYLCVEF) continues their mission of educating voters through environmental candidate forums, conducting two in recent weeks, one in southern Westchester County for New York’s 16th Congressional District, and one in Albany for New York’s 109th Assembly District.  

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