In Your Opinion: Clean Futures Act must come up for a vote in Legislature

In the run-up to the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden labeled climate change an “existential crisis.” But it wasn’t clear how aggressively he would move on this issue so important to the health of the planet and humankind. Now, as he prepared to host a virtual climate summit, The Daily Star reported (April 21) that the president has pledged an aggressive cut to carbon emissions of 50% by 2030.

This is welcome news. But accomplishing this requires equal commitments by each of the 50 states. One way to support Biden’s plan here in New York is through the Clean Futures Act, a proposal currently sitting in the Energy Committees of the state Senate and Assembly. The act, which would ban new fossil-fuel infrastructure construction in our state, must make it out of committee and be put to a general vote by June 9; otherwise, it is moot until the Jan. 1 start of the next legislative session. I urge every reader of The Daily Star to write or call leaders Andrea Stewart-Cousins (Senate) and Carl Heastie (Assembly) to advance the Clean Futures Act in this legislative session.

It’s crucial we act on this now, since Gov. Cuomo has not outright rejected National Grid’s plan to raise utility rates so it can build more gas infrastructure. If we pass the Clean Futures Act, the governor’s waffling on his commitment to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act will be irrelevant.

Diane Matza

Clinton

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