Today, Environment New York gave Senator Kirsten Gillibrand an Environmental Champion Award for her commitment to protecting our environment and public health. The senator received a 100% on Environment New York’s recent scorecard for her record of supporting policies that protect clean air, clean water, and open spaces.
“Senator Gillibrand is at the top of the class when it comes to keeping our air and water clean, protecting our special places, and ensuring a healthy climate,” said Heather Leibowitz, Director of Environment New York. “That’s why we are proud to present her with our Environmental Champion Award.” Leibowitz and other Environment New York staff and volunteers presented Senator Gillibrand with a poster of thank-you messages from New Yorkers to commemorate the award.
“Repealing the Clean Water Rule turns the mission of the Environmental Protection Agency on its head: the Trump administration is proposing to stop protecting drinking water sources for over 11 million New Yorkers. It defies common sense, sound science and the will of New Yorkers.” —Heather Leibowitz, Director of Environment New York
As we mark National Pollinator Week, chefs and restaurants are stepping up to save the bees. Working with Environment New York and Environment America’s Bee Friendly Food Alliance, more than 30 restaurants around the country are drawing attention to the problems facing bees. Restaurants are educating their customers and highlighting foods pollinated by bees. “Restaurants and chefs are buzzing with activity during National Pollinator Week, raising awareness about the vital role bees play in pollinating our food and the need to protect these powerful pollinators,” said Heather Leibowitz, Director of Environment New York.
Environment New York Research & Policy Center is deploying dozens of door-knockers this summer in a major effort to educate New Yorkers about the prospects for shifting to 100 percent clean, renewable energy. Part of a national campaign to reach more than 1.5 million Americans, outreach staff from our office in New York City will distribute literature to more than 120,000 New Yorkers, reinforcing that America can, and must, transition from dirty fuels to clean sources such as wind and solar.
Environment New York marked the first day of summer by urging leaders at all levels of government to tackle climate change. According to scientists at Climate Central, global warming pollution will fuel even hotter summers in the future. Summer temperatures in New York are already 1.6 degrees hotter now, on average, than in the 1970s. Without action to eliminate global warming pollution, summer temperatures here in New York could rise by more than 9 degrees by the end of the century. That would make summer days in New York feel more like they do now in South Carolina.
Environment New York Research and Policy Center is part of The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to getting things done.
