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Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. - Break the Fast Together
Monday, April 22, 2019
On Earth Day, Governor Cuomo Signs Legislation Banning Single-Use Plastic Bags in New York
New Law Will Reduce Litter, Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Protect the Environment for Future Generations
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation on Earth Day that bans the sale of single-use plastic bags in New York starting in March 2020, a significant step to reduce pollution and protect fish and wildlife. "Single-use" plastic bags do not degrade and often wind up as litter on lands and in waters, harming birds or wildlife that ingest the plastic. It is estimated that New Yorkers use 23 billion plastic bags annually, and nationwide studies show that approximately 50 percent of single-use plastic bags end up as litter. In addition to preventing plastic bag litter in our environment, this ban will also help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic bag production and disposal, from petroleum used to produce the bags to emissions from the transportation of bags to landfills.
"You see plastic bags hanging in trees, blowing down the streets, in landfills and in our waterways, and there is no doubt they are doing tremendous damage," Governor Cuomo said. "Twelve million barrels of oil are used to make the plastic bags we use every year and by 2050 there will be more plastic by weight in the oceans than fish. We need to stop using plastic bags, and today we're putting an end to this blight on our environment."
"From bold action to address climate change, to historic investments in clean energy, New York has been at the forefront of efforts to preserve and strengthen our environment, and the plastic bag ban is the next step forward," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. "Once again New York is demonstrating leadership with a common sense reform to create lasting change and ensure a greener future for our planet."
DEC will work with stakeholders and community leaders to ensure the roll-out of this initiative does not disproportionately impact low and moderate income and environmental justice communities through the distribution of reusable bags.
In March 2017, Governor Cuomo created the New York State Plastic Bag Task Force, chaired by Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos. The task force met several times to develop a uniform, comprehensive and equitable solution to the plastic bag problem. The final report analyzed the impacts of single-use plastic bags and provided several options for legislation that could help develop a statewide solution to the problem.
The legislation signed today bans the provision of single-use, plastic carryout bags at any point of sale, and provides DEC exclusive jurisdiction over all matters related to plastic bags. Under the new law, garment bags, trash bags and any bags used to wrap or contain certain foods, such as fruits and sliced meats are exempt from the ban. Counties or cities will also be permitted to charge a five cent fee for single-use paper bags. Three cents from the fee will go to the Environmental Protection Fund, while the other two cents will go to the locality to pay for distribution of reusable bags.
New York joins California and Hawaii as the only states where single-use plastic bags are banned.
Luis Sepulveda - Town hall meeting
Please join us next week to discuss the proposed Parkchester Shelter
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BP DIAZ ASSAILS JAIL DESIGN ADVISORY GROUP
In a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is calling out the city for its lack of any real commitment to community input in its ongoing proposal to build a new jail in The Bronx.
At issue is the administration’s formation of a Design Advisory Group for the proposed Bronx jail, which the city is seeking to create prior to the completion of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) on the four borough-based jail sites.
“The timing of this announcement makes it crystal clear that your administration has no desire to even pretend to take community input into account during the siting process, and in fact views the outcome of the ULURP as a fait accompli,” wrote Borough President Diaz in the letter.
The borough president added that the new jail is being built in the wrong location, and should be moved to an available site adjacent to the Bronx Hall of Justice.
“Mott Haven is the wrong location for a new jail in The Bronx An obviously better location exists for this jail,” wrote Borough President Diaz. “If you truly value community input on this issue you would be wise to recognize this fact.”
The letter can be read at https://on.nyc.gov/2PoG8pE. Maps outlining the more appropriate site for the new jail can be downloaded at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmBRbmet.
ACTION ON GLOBAL WARMING: NYC’S GREEN NEW DEAL
Laws and actions will drive a nearly 30% additional reduction in greenhouse emissions by 2030 and spur tens of thousands of good jobs
Mayor de Blasio today announced New York City’s Green New Deal, a bold and audacious plan to attack global warming on all fronts. It is comprised of $14 billion in new and committed investments, legislation and concrete action at the City level that will ensure a nearly 30 percent additional reduction in emissions by 2030. The laws and investments of New York City’s Green New Deal will directly confront income inequality, generating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs retrofitting buildings and expanding renewable energy.
You can read the full report here.
“Every day we wait is a day our planet gets closer to the point of no-return. New York City’s Green New Deal meets that reality head on,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We are confronting the same interests that created the climate crisis and deepened inequality. There’s no time to waste. We’re taking action now, before it’s too late.”
New York City is not only taking steps to adhere to the Paris Climate pact, it is frontloading the most significant greenhouse gas reductions for the coming decade, before it’s too late. The City is going after the largest source of emissions in New York by mandating that all large existing buildings cut their emissions - a global first. In addition, the Administration will convert government operations to 100 percent clean electricity, implement a plan to ban inefficient all-glass buildings that waste energy and reduce vehicle emissions.
The Green New Deal policies are laid out in “OneNYC 2050: Building a Strong and Fair City,” a new, comprehensive plan to prepare our city for the future and leading the way for the nation on how to address the existential threats posed by climate change, economic insecurity, inequity, and rising global intolerance.
Combined with the de Blasio administrations previous actions, the actions announced today will lead to a nearly 30 percent reduction in emissions citywide. In combination with actions taken prior to this administration, New York City on track to achieve a 40 percent reduction in emissions from a 2005 baseline by 2030 -- the breaking point to turn back the most devastating and irreversible consequences of climate change.
The announcements today will reduce our emissions by the following percentages from a 2005 baseline:
10%: Mandating that all large, existing buildings implement retrofits to be more efficient and lower emissions – a global first.
6%: OneNYC initiatives to further reduce emissions including more renewable energy, expanded energy efficiency in buildings and reduced reliance on fossil fuel vehicles.
5%: Pursuing a deal to power 100% of City operations with clean electricity sources like Canadian hydropower.
2%: Cleaning up vehicle fleet and implementing congestion pricing.
The above actions will account for a 23 percent reduction in emissions. Previous actions taken by the de Blasio administration, such as phasing out dirtier heating oil, have already resulted in a 5 percent reduction. The total reduction secured through actions of the de Blasio administration will reach 28 percent. When added to reductions made under the prior administration, New York City will reach a total emissions reduction of 40 percent by 2030 and putting ourselves on track for full carbon neutrality by 2050.
New York City’s Green New Deal
- Committing to carbon neutrality by 2050, and 100% clean electricity. The City will pursue steep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and source 100% clean electricity, while creating green jobs and holding polluters responsible for climate-related costs.
- Requiring buildings cut their emissions – a global first. With the passage of the building mandates law, New York City is the first city in the world to require all large existing buildings of 25,000 square feet or more, of which there are 50,000 citywide, to make efficiency upgrades that lower their energy usage and emissions – or face steep penalties.
- Banning new inefficient glass-walled buildings. The City will no longer allow all-glass facades in new construction unless they meet strict performance guidelines, making inefficient glass-heavy building designs a thing of the past.
- Hydro-powered City government. The City, working with partners, will pursue 100 percent carbon-free electricity supply for City government operations with the building of a new connection linking New York City to zero-emission Canadian hydropower. Negotiations will begin right away, with the goal of striking a deal by the end of 2020 and powering city operations entirely with renewable sources of electricity within five years. This action is the equivalent of converting the entire state of Vermont to clean energy.
- Mandatory organics recycling. The City will make organics collection mandatory citywide, expanding the country’s largest organics management program, including curbside pickup, drop-off sites, and support for community composting opportunities.
- Reducing waste and carbon-intensive consumption. The City will end unnecessary purchases of single-use plastic foodware, phase out the purchase of processed meat, reduce the purchase of beef by 50 percent and commit to a carbon neutral City fleet by 2040
- Aligning with U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals. With OneNYC, New York City was the first city to map our local strategy to the SDGs and to submit a Voluntary Local Review to the United Nations. The Voluntary Local Review monitors New York’s advancement toward the goals, identifies areas where we can learn from others, and addresses remaining challenges. By demonstrating directly in our strategy how OneNYC aligns with the SDGs, we strengthen our efforts to build a strong and fair city and deepen the city diplomacy that makes New York City a leader on the world stage.
Preparing for the Effects of Climate Change
- Comprehensive resilience planning. The City is executing our $20 billion resiliency plan to address the growing threats of coastal storms, sea-level rise, extreme heat, and increased precipitation with projects and programs across the city. These investments will save lives and people’s homes as New York prepares for the effects of climate change that are already locked-in.
Solving our Transportation Challenges
- Help New Yorkers get moving. The City will support the implementation of congestion pricing to reduce traffic in Manhattan and help fix our broken subway system, while also improving bus speeds 25 percent by the end of 2020. We will speed up our buses through expanded and improved bus lanes, stronger bus lane enforcement, and signal improvements that prioritize buses as they travel through city streets.
- Reclaim city streets. The City will meet the needs of the public by ensuring better buses to increase efficiency in all five boroughs; increasing off-hour deliveries to help ease congestion; and creating People Priority Zones that restrict vehicular access, create public spaces, improve safety, reduce congestions, and improve air quality. We will start with a zone in Lower Manhattan to test a potential expansion citywide.
Ensuring Social Equity and Jobs
- Promoting New Yorkers’ health. The City will guarantee health care for every New Yorker, to create the most comprehensive, universal coverage in the nation for uninsured New Yorkers, regardless of ability to pay or immigration status. The City will focus on ending the opioid epidemic and deploy engagement teams alongside first responders to support people with mental health and substance misuse needs.
- Building a fairer city for all. The City will explore expanding the IDNYC municipal ID card to enable banking access for the more than 1 million underbanked New Yorkers; and will continue protecting tenants from displacement and supporting working New Yorkers by aggressively enforcing fair wage and work regulations.
Since the launch of the original OneNYC strategy in 2015, New York City has been a global leader in progressive policies that serve all New Yorkers and secure a sustainable future. Amid this progress, our city and its residents continue to face numerous challenges today. These include pervasive social and economic inequities; at-risk infrastructure; and an exposed and endangered waterfront threatened by a climate change emergency. OneNYC is our blueprint to meet these challenges head-on.
OneNYC lays out our aspirations for the City we want to build by 2050. It contains eight goals that respond to core challenges facing New York City today; 30 initiatives the City and our partners need to undertake to meet those goals by 2050; and more than 80 specific new metrics and targets to guide City leaders and hold us accountable.
The OneNYC strategy was developed following months of engagement with a diverse cross-section of 16,000 New Yorkers from across the city. The City convened a 39-member Advisory Board of community leaders, advocates, elected officials, and policy experts, as well as 26 regional leaders to discuss shared challenges and opportunities to collaboratively address shared regional needs. In the coming months, the de Blasio administration will continue the conversation with residents, civic leaders, and elected officials to refine initiatives and encourage civic engagement.
“Here in New York City, we recognize our climate crisis for what it is - an emergency - and also that what matters most is not words, but action,” said Daniel Zarrilli, NYC’s Chief Climate Policy Advisor and OneNYC Director. “With today’s release of OneNYC 2050, we are demonstrating to the world what a green new deal looks like in practice. Taking on the fossil fuel industry, getting our emissions to net zero, building greater resiliency citywide, and creating an inclusive economy - these may not be easy, but they are necessary if we are to secure a livable future for the next generation. And by taking action now, we are building a strong and fair city for all New Yorkers.”
“If someone tells you the Green New Deal won’t work, tell them to come to New York City,” said Mark Chambers, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. “There are no sidelines in the fights against global warming and inequality – either we act or we forfeit our future.”
“Our investments in resiliency are focused on ensuring New York City is prepared to withstand and emerge stronger from the impacts of climate change,” said Jainey Bavishi, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Resiliency. “Climate change presents an unprecedented threat, but with the Green New Deal we have the opportunity to address inequality, create thousands of new jobs, and build a stronger and more resilient city for generations of New Yorkers to come.”
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BJC Hosts Community Shabbat Dinner
BRONX JEWISH CENTER Hosts Community Dinner May 3rd
Please join us for our next community Shabbat dinner at the Bronx Jewish Center,1969 Haight Avenue,Bx NY 10461 to be held on Friday, May 3 rd, starting at 7:00 PM. The special theme for that evening will be Shabbat in Chile... Yes,That"s right Chile. All of your favorite Chilean style dishes will take center stage! We look forward to seeing you! Enjoy a delicious 4 course dinner with your fellow neighbors.Turn your Friday night Shabbat into an evening of spiritual awakening, inspiration, Jewish songs and culinary delight.
Please RSVP@718-812-1701 to let us know you are coming . Community Shabbat dinners are held the first Friday of every month.
Time : 7:00 pm......Friday May 3rd
Address: 1969 Haight Avenue Bx NY 10461
Cost: Free of charge and all are welcome to join!
Website:www.BronxJewishCenter. org
Contact: office@bronxjewishcen
Telephone: #718-812-1701