NYC Council Member Lincoln Restler has offered an official climate action plan for his District 33 (D33). It is the first district in New York City to put forward an official climate action plan.
The plan details our path to a green future through combating the climate crisis. Restler categorized specific actions to pursue five main goals.
The reduction of building emissions is one goal. To achieve this, D33 plans to build energy efficiency by upgrading buildings in order to limit carbon emissions with the Climate Mobilization Act (Local Law 97). Other actions include moving to sustainable construction, expanding solar roof coverage, and making home weatherization, like insulation and heating system improvements, more accessible for residents.
Curbing vehicular emissions is another goal, and aims to decrease the use of cars. This effort will call for the protection of bike lanes, expansion of bike lane approvals and open streets, and improvement of our transit system. More busways and increased subway accessibility are two goals to be pushed for. As for the vehicles themselves, D33 is looking toward traffic calming, eliminating parking requirements, and more sustainable infrastructure.
Next goal is the expansion of green spaces and green infrastructure. The action plan says that at least one percent of city funding should go toward our parks. It indicates plans for specific parks throughout Williamsburg and Greenpoint and places special emphasis on the importance of green infrastructure and tree planting.
Composting and e-waste recycling are also elemental to this plan — that will help toward achievement of zero waste. Making curbside composting mandatory and converting Newtown Creek’s former Department of Sanitation facility into a community composting facility are among the changes hoped to come. Also, with the help of the CORE Act, electronics would be able to be dropped off at community sites and even picked up curbside so they don’t end up in landfills.
Finally, preparation of a surge-ready shoreline and resilient neighborhoods is key to mitigating crisis. That’s why D33 plans on replacing our concrete seawall with a natural shore for stormwater drainage. Also increasing access to free air conditioners and cooling centers, and using federal funding to upgrade our outdated infrastructure to resilient and green design.
“The climate crisis is not a far-off threat — its effects are already being felt right here in our waterfront district and in communities across our City, especially Black and brown working class New Yorkers,” Council member Lincoln Restler said. “The goal of our District 33 Climate Roadmap is to is to drive down emissions in our neighborhoods using every tool the City Council has: passing legislation, funding local projects, providing rigorous oversight, and organizing winning campaigns.”
The conclusion of the climate action plan states that although addressing the climate crisis worldwide requires a federal plan to stop corporate pollution, D33 can be a leader across New York State and the rest of the country on a local level.
The full plan is available to read at lincolnrestler.nyc/climate.
The Greenline 