A Win for New York and the Climate

With all the dire climate news these days, there was one piece of good news from last week. Governor Hochul prioritized New Yorkers and the planet when she withdrew the Barrett/Parker bill from the New York state budget. The Barrett / Parker bill would have relaxed the way methane emissions are counted, undermining New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in the process. It would have also been a giveaway to fossil fuel interests, allowing the fossil fuel industry to continue downplaying the impact of methane. 

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and over a 20-year period, it’s 80 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide. Methane has also accounted for roughly 30 per cent of global warming since pre-industrial times and is proliferating faster than at any other time since record keeping began in the 1980s. Slowing down methane emissions is one of the most important tools we have to slow down how fast our planet heats up. It’s time for New York state to start taking more aggressive action toward the ultimate goals of carbon neutrality and 100 percent clean energy.    

Sponsor

Governor Hochul, Speaker Carl Heastie and Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins must support NY HEAT to invest in climate-friendly solutions and cap energy bills at 6% of income for low and middle income New Yorkers. The time is now to pass a state budget that benefits all New Yorkers, not just the lobbyists and special interests.