Central New Yorkers came out to SUNY ESF Thursday morning to voice their opinions about State Senator Rachel May’s proposed Climate Control and Protection Act.
The legislation itself would set New York on the course for complete reliance renewable energy by 2050 as well as setting aside money to replace outdated machinery that’s harmful to the environment (e.g. the current heat pumps in a lot of CNY communities). The bill would also see look to see nuclear energy phased out of New York replaced by cleaner energies (wind, solar). Senator May said she hopes other states would see the Climate Control and Protection Act pass in NY, and then follow suit with their own versions.
And for the most part the public was quite pleased with the bill. Community members, educators, scientists, and government officials each came up one-by-one Thursday morning to offer their testimony. Some wanted more money for the bill to institute even more change, while some wanted to make sure their constituents were properly represented.
Binghampton Citizen Organizer Amber Johnson says she’s happy a bill like this is taking minority communities into consideration.
“It could always be stronger however it is movement in the right direction for actual true equity–bringing low income communities and communities of color at the table,” Johnson said.
Jessica Azulay, Director of the Alliance of Green Economy, said the state’s nuclear plants have a “big environmental impact and risk.”
While the public testimony addressed a wide range of topics about the bill, the overall tone was quite optimistic. Nearly every speaker who came up was thankful for the bill in its current for, and hopeful that even more could be accomplished if it passes.
