Legislature Approves Climate Change Law
ALBANY, N.Y. – The Adirondack Council today congratulated Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the leaders of the Legislature for passing the most aggressive carbon-cutting law in the United States.
“Everyone who cares about the Adirondacks should stop to appreciate what Governor Cuomo, Speaker Carl Heastie and Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins have achieved today,” said Adirondack Council Executive Director William C. Janeway. “New York is now on a path to making all of its electricity with zero emissions. Serious carbon reductions will be made economy-wide. The state will provide funding for communities that face the greatest risks yet lack adequate means to sustain and protect themselves from the impacts of climate change.
“The bill approved on Tuesday night is an historic step for New York,” Janeway said. “It is both bold and achievable. It stands as a model for -- and a challenge to -- other states. It should remind Congress that the United States should be a global leader in curbing the greatest environmental crisis of the 21st Century.”
If signed by the Governor, the legislation would reduce New York’s greenhouse gas emissions from all sources by 85 percent by 2050 and allocate funds for communities impacted by climate change.
Janeway also thanked the chairmen of the New York Senate and Assembly Environmental Conservation Committees for sponsoring the legislation. They are Assemblyman Steven Englebright, D-Setauket, and Sen. Todd Kaminsky, D-Long Beach.
“Steve Englebright has spent years building the momentum needed to make this legislation possible,” said Janeway. “Without his efforts, this bill would not have passed. It’s that simple.
“In addition, we want to single out the work of Senate EnCon Chairman Todd Kaminsky, who worked with both parties to find compromise that led to the final agreement, even as our Adirondack Senator Betty Little voted ‘no,’” he said.
On the organizational side, the League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Advocates of New York, The Nature Conservancy, New York Renews and the Alliance for Clean Energy all deserve credit, as do Adirondack Council members and friends who sent more than 500 letters to lawmakers over the past two weeks, urging adoption.
The Adirondack Council is a privately funded not-for-profit organization whose mission is to ensure the ecological integrity and wild character of the Adirondack Park. The Council envisions a Park with clean water and clean air, comprised of core wilderness areas, surrounded by farms and working forests, as well as vibrant communities.
The Adirondack Council carries out its mission through research, education, advocacy and legal action to ensure the legacy of the Adirondack Park is safeguarded for future generations. Adirondack Council members live in all 50 United States.
For more information:
John Sheehan, Director of Communications, 518-441-1340
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, June 19, 2019
