New York affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation
May 18, 2009
Welcome to Environmental Advocates of New York’s online newsletter from the State Capital, your source for environmental news. We update you every other week with tidbits and observations carefully gleaned from the halls of the Capitol.
Cap Carbon - New York
Lawmakers in D.C. are hard at
work on legislation to cut global warming pollution, but that’s not
the whole story. State measures, like one on the table in Albany,
would cut climate pollution further and faster and help ease New
York’s transition to the new, renewable energy economy. So while
Congress might get most of the media attention, there’s action in
Albany, too.
This week Environmental Advocates of New York is introducing our campaign to make real cuts in global warming pollution—it’s called Cap Carbon – New York. We can make New York State a national “green” leader in the climate fight when New Yorkers like you to send a clear message to state lawmakers—together, we can cut global warming pollution.
Later this week, we’ll send you details on how you can participate in Cap Carbon – New York. For now, please save the date for Cap Carbon Lobby Day in Albany. Come to the State Capital on June 9th to tell your state lawmakers why New York can and should take action to help stop global warming now and not later.
WHEN: Tuesday, June 9th
WHERE: New York State Capital
FOR DETAILS: Contact our Air & Energy Program Associate, Jackson Morris at jmorris@eany.org.
Federal Climate Bill Weakened under Pressure
It’s not bad news, but it’s not good news, either.
Late last week, representatives Edward Markey (D-MA) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) announced the outlines of a deal on a bill to cut global warming pollution that is likely to get the support of centrist Democrats. The deal, which isn’t dreamy but could certainly be much worse, lowers clean energy targets and requires smaller cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Final targets to cut climate pollution 80 percent by 2050 remain in place.
The most troubling news is about emissions allowances. Under the cap-and-trade bill, these are the carbon credits that polluters will be required to buy in order to continue to release climate-altering pollution into the atmosphere. The agreement would give 35 percent of carbon credits to local power producers for free and about 15 percent to polluting industries such as steel, aluminum, chemical and glass. These giveaways would be phased-out over time.
As far as Environmental Advocates of New York is concerned, giving away carbon credits for free does not serve as an incentive to these polluters to clean up their act. And if the Kyoto Protocol is any example, giving away allowances doesn’t help polluters meet their goals to cut greenhouse gases, either.
But this fight is far from over. We’ll keep you posted.
Monday Morning Surprise
Albany got a surprise last week in the form of a new leader for the State Senate’s Energy & Telecommunications Committee. After Senator Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn) was relieved of the top slot pending an investigation into his alleged assault on a New York Post photographer, Senator Darrel Aubertine (D-Watertown) was tapped to head up the important committee.
We look forward to working with Senator Aubertine. During his time in the Assembly, he supported moving the state to a sustainable energy future while reducing New York’s share of global warming pollution, including legislation that would ensure revenue from the auction of pollution permits under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative supports energy efficiency and clean energy projects. Last year, Senator Aubertine voted to reform New York’s net metering law so that more state residents could sell the clean energy they generate themselves back to utilities; he also supported tax credits for solar power and grants to build green.
Based on his voting record, Senator Aubertine is likely to help restore New York State’s leadership in the fields of renewable energy and climate change.
We’ll keep you posted.
All Bottled
Up
Only a few
weeks have passed since state lawmakers updated New York State’s
bottle deposit law, the “Bottle Bill,” to include bottled waters,
and there’s already talk of amendments.
The original Bottle Bill is New York’s most successful recycling
program and something that, poll after poll and survey after survey,
state residents say they want. So far, legislation to amend the
expanded bottle deposit law has been introduced in both houses and
the Governor Paterson may have a proposal, too.
For the record, we want to keep the Bottle Bill on track and ready to go. If New York waits until next fall to update the state’s bottle deposit law, tens of thousands of water bottles will wind up in our landfills and littering our roadsides, natural areas and waterways.
Bills on the Move
Every week during the State Legislative Session, Environmental Advocates of New York looks at the measures that will impact the environment for good or ill. Here are this week’s Bills on the Move.
Three Trees for Recyclables in Landfills. This bill would prohibit the disposal of recyclable materials and yard waste in landfills and incinerators, and specifies materials to be separated for recycling, such as newsprint, glass containers, metal containers, and certain plastics.
Two Trees for Outdoor Lighting. This bill would prohibit the installation of new or replacement permanent outdoor lighting by state agencies or public corporations unless it meets certain efficiency standards. It would also require the state to develop efficiency standards for lighting and authorize the state to identify and establish “dark sky preserves,” in order to protect wildlife and enhance night sky viewing.
Two Trees for Green Power Purchasing. This bill will make it possible for local governments to choose clean electricity at a limited additional cost. The measure also includes cost premiums for only renewable sources—not power from waste incinerators or nuclear plants, both of which are captured under the deeply flawed existing definition of renewables in state energy law.
One Tree for Public Access to Information. This bill would provide enhanced public access to information from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) through publications, open meetings and requests for public hearings.
One Tree for Wetlands Neighbor Notification. This bill would require that New York City landowners be notified and hearings be held when a development or other activity is proposed in a nearby wetland.
Two Smokestacks for Vested Rights Land Development. This bill vests the municipal zoning, planning and environmental regulations that are in place 180 days (six months) after an application is filed to develop land. This bill would undercut municipal planning and hamstring a community’s ability to address environmentally damaging growth or to consider the cumulative impacts of proposed developments.
Two Smokestacks for Bottle Bill Amendments. This bill would weaken the recent update of New York’s Bottle Bill by delaying the expansion of the nickel deposit to bottled waters, allowing stores smaller than 10,000 square feet to reduce the number of containers they accept as returns from 240 to 72 per day, and eliminating UPC code requirements for containers.
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES OF NEW YORK IS A MEMBER OF EARTH SHARE OF NEW YORK
FIND US ON FACEBOOK
