June 12, 2019

Is NY State the new champion of climate policy?

located:	USA
editor:	Yair Oded

A series of new bills in New York indicate that the Empire State may very well become a pioneer in the fight against climate change. As Congress grapples with The Green New Deal and the U.S. government does all in its power to stymie climate change policy, the New York State Assembly and New York City Council are attempting to put an end to the usage of fossil fuels in the state and convert New York City’s most notorious prison into a solar farm.

Earlier this year, the New York State Assembly passed the Climate and Community Protection Act (CCPA), which is due to be voted on in the State Senate on June 19. The CCPA seeks to terminate the production of energy through fossil fuel by 2050 and allocate 40 percent of renewable energy funds to low-income and minority communities. The bill also stipulates that all clean-energy jobs in the future have fair wages and correspond with labour standards.

Currently, the bill has won the support of 75 out of 150 NY State Assembly members. The CCPA has also been endorsed by organisations such as the Sierra Club and the National Resources Defense Council, as well as by Senators Kirstin Gillibrans and Chuck Schumer and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez.

Alas, the bill does not only seem to face obstacles in the State Senate, but has also failed to win the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo. In an interview for WNYC, Cuomo expressed his dissatisfaction with the bill and the ‘politics’ associated with it, saying “When you talk about this transition in the economy, remember what you’re talking about, fossil-fuels, no carbon emissions, no airplanes, no trains that run on diesel, all electric cars, closing all the power plants, this is a massive transformation… And I know the politics now is, ‘We can do everything by tomorrow.’ I have never done that.” Cuomo has penned his own take on tackling climate change, titled the Climate Leadership Act. Cuomo’s Act, however, does not indicate a deadline for ending the use of fossil fuels.

Meanwhile, the New York City Council is getting ready to submit a package of three bills that seek to replace Rikers Island jail complex in Queens with a solar farm and wastewater treatment facility. If passed, the bill would morph the prison island – which gained notoriety for its harsh conditions and brutal violence – into a public green-utility hub that will significantly reduce the city's reliance on oil and gas.

Two of the bills call on the City to conduct comprehensive studies on the projected cost of installing renewable energy and wastewater treatment facilities on the island, while the third bill seeks to transfer the mandate over Rikers Island from the City’s Department of Corrections to the Department of Environmental Protection, and grant the latter authority to begin transforming the island’s facilities once its prison population dips below 5,000.

The island, whose prison is set to be closed by 2027, has been coveted by many developer corporations who wish to make a buck out of its 400 acres. Community members from the neighbourhoods surrounding the island, as well as numerous members of Congress, are actively challenging such developers and have been organising to promote the transformation of the island into a solar farm.

Such green initiatives on the state and municipal levels play an important role in accelerating the fight against global warming and social injustice. As stated by the CCPA’s sponsor, NY State Assembly member Steve Englebright, “[T]here are some things outside the reach of New York... But what New York can do is take care of business on this very important issue within our own boundaries and set an example for other states and other parts of the world.”