What Did NY State Lawmakers Do to Address Climate Change This Year?
Albany wrapped its legislative session last week just as smoke from hundreds of wildfires in Canada made its way into New York. The crisis-levels of air pollution served as a stark reminder of the consequences of climate change—and should drive lawmakers to take action, environmentalists said.
“We are in our final days of session, literally in the midst of a public health crisis, with the dangerous air quality as a result of the wildfires in Canada,” Liz Moran, New York policy advocate for Earthjustice said Thursday before the legislative session came to an end. “It’s imperative for states like New York to act.”
But the session concluded with several legislative environmental priorities still on the table—including the NY HEAT Act, which supporters say would help make utilities more affordable, and another bill to make fossil fuel companies help pay for climate-related infrastructure projects.