The city sanitation department’s proposal to eliminate funding for community composting means most food waste collected through public programs will become gas or landfill, not compost. Under proposed budget cuts as part of a wider agenda to trim city spending, community compost organizations — GrowNYC, the Lower East Side Ecology Center, BIG Reuse and Earth […]
Climate Change
Posted inClimate Change
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Imminent City Climate Law
A state court judge this week dismissed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the city’s Local Law 97, which seeks to slash carbon emissions from buildings. The lawsuit was filed in New York Supreme Court in May 2022 by two Queens co-ops, their board presidents and an LLC that owns a Manhattan residential and commercial building. […]
Posted inEnvironment
Uncertain Future for Solar, Wind Projects as New York Rejects Funding Boost
The state Public Service Commission (PSC) on Thursday rejected a request by developers of wind and solar for a financial boost. The decision by the commission, which regulates utilities and oversees rates, raises questions over whether the key clean energy projects — planned around the state and in the Atlantic Ocean — will move forward […]
Posted inWeather
State Comptroller Report Faults MTA for Lack of Climate Change Plans
On Friday morning, historic rains doused New York City and crippled the subway system. That afternoon, a little-noticed 39-page audit called on transit officials to do better.
Posted inWeather
City Caught Flat-Footed on Flood as Deluge Dredges Up Past Lessons
Parents, public officials and climate advocates all say the mayor and his team were ill-prepared for the effects of a storm that was on the radar days before.
Posted inHow to New York
How to Clean Up After a Storm: A Guide for Flooded New Yorkers
More severe weather is bringing water into homes more frequently across the five boroughs. Here’s what to do if flooding damages your place.
Posted inEnvironment
How to Prep NYC for the Next Smoke Apocalypse?
With bills to set emergency protocols and clear public information, Councilmember Lincoln Restler offers a playbook for the next time an orange haze engulfs the city.
Posted inClimate Change
Building Owners Could Get Two More Years to Comply with Impending Climate Law
Under new proposed rules to Local Law 97, buildings that show a good faith effort to meet carbon caps could get a reprieve. But some backers of the law say the delay isn’t warranted.
Posted inBrooklyn, Climate Change, Housing
The Ground Is Collapsing Under Canarsie Homes and Nobody Is Sure How Many Are Affected
A phenomenon called subsidence could be the result of poor soil quality or rising water levels — but not all cases are reported to the city.
Posted inWorker Safety
Extreme Heat Increases Workplace Injuries, But New York Lacks Safety Standards
An analysis by THE CITY of workers compensation claims found thousands more workplace injuries, beyond those explicitly attributed to heat, on days 85 degrees or hotter.