If There is Ever a Place That is Going to Lead the Way on Solving Climate Change, It is New York: New York Passes Sweeping Plan to Reduce Emissions

New York just passed a plan to reduce emissions and lead the way in solving the climate crisis. The plan was approved this week and will allow New York to create a “cap and invest” program similar to California’s cap-and-trade system. New York Governor Kathy Hochul will now be able to enact climate policies that could cut emissions in the coming decades and place vital mandates on individuals and businesses.

Source: CBS News/YouTube

The “cap and invest” program would limit emissions and require polluters to purchase allowances to pollute with greenhouse gasses. The plan calls to electrify nearly everything, including buildings and vehicles.

“If there is ever a place that is going to lead the way on solving climate change, it is New York,” Climate Action Council co-chair Doreen Harris, president of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, said at the meeting. “I am certain of it.”

The Climate Action Council passed the climate plan that details recommendations about how to meet the state’s statutory mandate of cutting emissions by 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050, with the remaining offset to reach net zero emissions. This means that millions of homes, businesses, vehicles, and more will have to turn to clean energy, and the state will need to focus on renewable energy projects.

Politico reported that the plan recommends that new construction and major renovations not be allowed to use fossil fuels in 2025 for smaller buildings and 2027 for larger buildings. In addition, it calls for the state to prohibit replacement gas or other fossil fuel furnaces in homes, apartment buildings, and businesses beginning in 2030. New gas car sales are on track to be banned in 2035.

New York’s climate law requires at least 35 percent of clean energy funds to benefit disadvantaged communities. The money that is raised from “cap and invest” will be included in the requirement, and the plan prioritizes emissions reduction in those communities.

Although many are still skeptical of the new plan, if it is implemented, it could drastically help us fight Climate change and set a tone for the rest of the country and the world.

Cutting your carbon footprint is the surest way to minimize the amount of warming greenhouse gas emissions entering the atmosphere. While you can do many little things like shutting off lights when you leave your house, choosing to walk instead of driving and switching over to energy-efficient appliances – there is one simple action that often goes overlooked that has the highest positive impact: eating plant-based.

Animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector combined. In addition, this industry occupies 45 percent of arable land, uses 23 percent of global freshwater resources, and is responsible for rampant deforestation, water drought, and air Pollution. By shifting away from meat and dairy products and choosing plant-based alternatives instead, you can help lower this rate of destruction. In just one year of eating plant-based, you can halve your carbon footprint – that’s pretty powerful!

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Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take the initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
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