“The Future Is Now”: 350+ Students with NY Renews and TREEage Rallied for the NY HEAT Act, Climate Change Superfund Act, and Green Healthy Schools
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
March 27, 2024
Contact: Marie Scarles | (646) 389-8429 | marie@nyrenews.org
Web: @NYRenews | www.nyrenews.org
TREEage, NY Renews, and youth climate and environmental justice organizations from across New York demanded Governor Hochul pass the Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package and invest millions of dollars in public schools
Albany, NY—On March 27, 2024, while negotiations around the state budget heat up, hundreds of students with TREEage, NY Renews, and youth climate and environmental justice organizations were joined by lawmakers to demand Governor Hochul pass the full NY HEAT Act, the Climate Change Superfund Act, and invest millions of dollars in their own schools as part of the Climate, Jobs & Justice spending priorities.
See here for photos of the action and here for the livestream.
This is the third Wednesday in a row that hundreds of New Yorkers have mobilized at the Capitol to urge Governor Hochul to address rising energy costs and make corporate polluters pay for much-needed climate investments.
During the day, public school students described breathing polluted air from the burning of No. 4 heating oil—known as one of the most harmful and polluting types of heating oil used in buildings—and called Governor Hochul to include millions of dollars to retrofit public school buildings. In particular, students asked for $600 million in the state budget for repairs and retrofits, as well as an additional $500 million to expand electric school buses and corresponding infrastructure expansion.
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"It is great to see so many kids and young adults empowered and advocating for improving the climate, creating more jobs, and environmental justice," said Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris. "Today's Youth Day of Action highlights that our future leaders are already hard at work to improve all of our futures."
"The commitment of young people to the protection of their environment is crucial for our collective future. Together we are making strides to combat climate change and create a healthier planet. It is inspiring to see the younger generation empowering themselves and working to ignite change," said State Senator Pete Harckham, Chairman of the Committee on Environmental Conservation
NY State Senator John Liu stated, "The youth of today knows that our climate is changing at a more rapid pace than ever before, and that we have the power in the legislature to create a more sustainable and greener future for the next generation. Climate justice is a moral imperative, and I’m proud to stand with these advocates from TREEage and the NY Renews Coalition during its Youth Day of Action in support of the Climate, Jobs, and Justice package. Let’s keep up the fight to build the healthier, clean-energy economy we all deserve."
“Individual New Yorkers and families are paying to build out an increasingly expensive gas system under the 100 foot rule, causing utility bills to rise at a time we should be aligning public service law with our nation-leading climate law and mandates,” said Assemblymember Patricia Fahy, Assembly sponsor of the NY HEAT Act. “Regular New Yorkers who did not create the climate crisis should not be paying to shoulder the cost of our clean energy transition, and NY HEAT ensures that transition is affordable, reliable, and planned. This year, we can protect our planet and our pocketbooks by including the full NY HEAT Act in the final budget, and heed the call of New Yorkers everywhere who are asking us to take real climate action amidst increasingly expensive fossil fuel costs and extreme, climate-driven weather events.”
“Today, I am inspired by the passionate youth, dedicated to the preservation of our earth and a safe environment for everyone. They understand the dire need to take climate change seriously. We cannot continue to ignore the climate crisis. New York City is experiencing devastating weather changes and communities of color and low-income residents suffer the most from our ongoing neglect. Marginalized New Yorkers and youth should not carry the burden of climate change caused by the fossil fuel industry. Millions of lives hang in the balance. Without drastic changes our future will be in jeopardy. We have to hold the fossil fuel industry responsible. This is why we must pass the NY Heat Act and the Climate Change Superfund Act,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas.
“Young New Yorkers—who will live with the effects of the climate crisis their entire lives—are leading the way for a just climate future,” said TREEage Co-Executive Director, Kathryn Gioiosa. “We’re calling for a bare-minimum commitment from our state leaders to pass the NY HEAT Act, Climate Change Superfund Act, and to invest directly in retrofitting our public schools and electrifying our school bus fleet in this budget. State leaders, listen up: If you care about your children and grandchildren growing up in New York State, the time for action is now.”
“Week after week, NY Renews and the Climate Justice Movement are bringing hundreds of people to Albany. Why? Because after the devastating climate disasters over the last year, we won’t accept anything less than the full NY HEAT Act and the Climate Change Superfund Act in this year’s budget. As a coalition representing over 380 members and hundreds of thousands of people, we see the impacts of the intersecting crisis of climate, affordability, and environmental injustice everyday. All eyes are on the Assembly and the Governor to see if they choose working families or fossil fuel billionaires.” —Stephan Edel, Executive Director, NY Renews
“The policies we pass today should be setting up future generations of New Yorkers to succeed and lead healthy lives. We join the hundreds of students rallying at the State Capitol today in calling for the passage of the NY Heat Act, Climate Change Superfund Act, and Green Healthy Schools. Our youth deserve a future free of polluting fossil fuels.” —Ana María Archila, Co-Director of the New York Working Families Party
"Parents and caregivers are proud of and inspired by the work young people are doing to fight for climate justice, but we're angry that they have to do it. At a minimum, adults should be able to offer the next generation a livable planet. We're angry that fossil fuel companies are being allowed to destroy so much, with no accountability. We're angry that the dirty energy infrastructure of the past continues to be built when we have the tools to transition today to our clean energy future. Governor Hochul, as a mother and grandmother, and Speaker Heastie, as a father, must prioritize the health, safety, and hopes of all New York children and pass the NY HEAT Act and Climate Change Superfund Act in this year's budget," said Laurel Tumarkin, Co-lead of Climate Families NYC.
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TREEage is a grassroots student-led climate advocacy organization of high school and college students across all five boroughs of New York City dedicated to winning tangible, transformative climate action in New York. From championing bold climate legislation, to leading the fight for Green, Healthy Schools, TREEage leads campaigns for real policy change that shapes New York’s future.
NY Renews is a coalition of over 380 environmental justice, faith, labor, and community groups, and the force behind the nation’s most progressive climate law. We fight for good jobs and climate justice for New Yorkers statewide.