Environmental Protection and a Clean Energy Economy

Despite these difficult economic and financial times, the last thing we need in Albany is a politician who sees our parks, our water supply, our air and our beautiful green spaces as a luxury to be sold down the river to the lowest bidder who comes with a promise of jobs. The fact is, the protection of our natural resources and economic growth are not mutually exclusive things. They go hand in hand. As state senator, I will provide the environmental leadership our community and state government needs. I will fight every day for these principles and policies:

• Create energy efficient homes and businesses through retrofitting programs that pay for themselves over time
• Expand support for the New York State Environmental Protection Fund
• Support the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
• Direct the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to develop programs that would reduce CO2 emissions
• Enhance energy efficiency by updating the State Energy Code
• Stop Gas Drilling in the New York City watershed
• Establish sustainable development as a state priority by passing the Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy Act
• Increase environmental protections in parks and shorelines by strengthening the Adirondack Park Agency Act
• Invest in mass transit, because mass transit jobs are green jobs