THE ENVIRONMENT
New York has come a long way in the past two decades to reduce harmful emissions
and clean its waterways, but environmental issues are usually trumped as
a lost cause in the city. To complicate matters, federal standards are relaxing
under the environmentally unfriendly Bush administration. New Yorkers must
not accept less than an unambiguous, clear-cut endorsement of sound environmental
policy for our city, our state, and our nation.
As Manhattan Borough President I will advocate on behalf of:
Strict Environmental Standards
While the Bush administration is giving polluters a free ride, we must
fight back. New Yorkers must insist that the Clean Air Act not be gutted.
For those laws that fall under federal mandate, I will lobby our Washington,
D.C. representatives. For the changes that can be effected locally, I
will join with local community groups and legislators to find solutions
to our environmental problems and illnesses. In addition, I will begin
a campaign that will highlight New York’s great “green” spaces,
the challenges they face, and what we can do to preserve them.
Tax Credits for “Green” Housing
A significant percentage of greenhouse gases escape from poorly insulated
houses and apartments. My office will embark on an awareness campaign
to educate consumers how they can save money and save the environment
by making small changes to their living spaces. I will also lobby for
greater tax credits for “green” buildings, defined as those
buildings that use a large portion of recycled materials in their construction,
and are highly efficient in their maintenance. Green buildings are the
wave of the future and New York should lead the way, particularly as
it applies to new construction.
Clean Businesses and Transportation
The city should ensure that only Energy Star products are being purchased
by city agencies, where possible. My office, as part of its environmental
initiative, will seek to work with Energy Star to promote safe and sound
products such as washing machine and lighting for our city’s homes
and businesses. In addition, we should begin an aggressive campaign to
make New York’s public transportation system the most environmentally
friendly in the world by promoting experimentation and research on alternative
fuels and energy cells. In particular, the city should set a goal to
convert all sightseeing and tour buses as well as city buses to alternative
technologies and hybrids. This approach should also extend in the future
to private cars, taxis and other commercial vehicles. In addition, I
will work with the MTA to examine how we might reduce noise from public
transport. We must also address the pollution caused by airplanes and
ships in our city’s ports.
Clean Homes and Indoor Air Quality
As Manhattan Borough President I will create an initiative that educates
residents, particularly those in asthma-prone neighborhoods, about the
great importance of indoor air quality. This will focus on individual efforts
to reduce tobacco smoke, pet dander, rodents, mold, insects, poor ventilation,
and other factors that trigger asthma attacks.
Housing and Landmark Preservation
The environment isn’t just the natural world. New York enjoys a mix
of beautiful streets and architectural style. You can easily notice it
by taking strolls through the various neighborhoods in Manhattan. After
the public outcry over the demolition of the old Penn Station in 1964 and
other irreplaceable architectural sites, New York created the Landmarks
preservation to protect our history. As Borough President, I will continue
to support the landmarking and preservation of notable buildings and neighborhoods.
This will ensure that future generations can enjoy and learn from our past,
not only looking in history books, but simply by walking around the city.
Green Public Spaces
The Green Way movement is growing in New York. I heartily support recent
beautification and conversion projects like the Westside Waterfront and
Uniting Neighborhoods to Revitalize Allen & Pike Street’s plans
to transform Allen Street into a vibrant boulevard for artisans and pedestrians.
As Manhattan Borough President, I will seek out opportunities for communities
and businesses to join together in building public spaces, bike lanes
and other open air facilities.
Drinking Water
Manhattan’s major water source is the Croton Watershed upstate, and
the city is under order to begin filtering its resources. But filtering
is not the only important water issue that New Yorkers face. There are
grave concerns about protecting the watershed, which is vulnerable to terrorist
activity and pollution from over-development. As Manhattan Borough President,
I will lobby our government to provide the resources to ensure that we
will always have access to a clean and safe water supply.
Reducing Emissions From Midwest Power Plants
The northeastern United States receives an inordinate amount of acid rain
from outdated coal-fired plants in the Midwest. When I am Manhattan Borough
President, I will join forces with state and regional agencies to push
Midwestern plants to update their facilities so that our state will not
deteriorate under the slow decay of acid rain. I will also call the issue
to the fore here in New York City where we, too, are greatly affected.
Recycling
Recycling makes sense, plain and simple. We must never again be in a situation
where we are forced to suspend recycling programs for budgetary reasons.
Bike Lanes
Expansion of the city’s bike lanes should continue so that New Yorkers
can safely enjoy the outdoors while getting needed exercise -- as well
as being able to choose the cleanest method of rapid transit possible.
3-Minute Idling Law Enforcement
The city must enforce its 3-minute idling law so that New Yorkers are not
exposed to dangerous fumes from vehicles parked just outside their windows.
This is of particular concern when buses and trucks idle in front of
schools, places of worship and other community sites.
