Following gas ban, NY must continue climate momentum. Here's why | Opinion
I’m thrilled to see New York take real climate action this session by banning so-called “natural” gas in most new buildings. As a longtime Hudson Valley resident who has watched our beautiful landscapes get pummeled by severe weather events like Hurricane Sandy, I’m proud our state is leading the fight against the climate crisis. The end to dirty fossil fuels is finally in sight, and I hope other states will take similar steps forward.
As great as this news is, our lawmakers must continue the momentum by enshrining The New York Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act (S4859/A5682) into law. It recently passed the Senate and now awaits its fate in the Assembly.
A perfect complement to the gas ban, this bill would ensure that companies supplying goods to our state don’t contribute to tropical forest degradation. Acting as carbon “sinks,” forests help stabilize the climate while harboring cultural and biological diversity. Destroying forests to produce commodities like palm oil, soybean and timber — ingredients in everything we buy — causes about a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. By “greening” our state purchasing, New York can help tackle climate change on a large scale.
The new gas ban renews my hope in our climate-conscious lawmakers who seem to grasp the critical role New York can play in our collective fight against environmental catastrophe.
It’s time for New York to show the world that it’s a forward-thinking defender of our precious global forests. The Assembly can make this happen by passing this bill.
Brittany Miller is a resident of Yorktown Heights.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: support for Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act
