February, 18 2016, 09:30am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Emily Pomilio, Sierra Club, (480) 286-0401, Emily.pomilio@sierraclub.org
Dan Sherrell, Sierra Club, (732) 589-2412, dan.sherrell@sierraclub.org
Catherine Bowes, National Wildlife Federation, (802) 552-4311, bowes@nwf.org
Community Groups and Local Leaders Call on Mayor de Blasio to Power NYC with Offshore Wind
Press Conference and Rally at City Hall on February 18
NEW YORK CITY, NY
Today, more than 100 New Yorkers joined community groups, environmental justice leaders, national environmental organizations, and local officials on the steps of City Hall to thank Mayor Bill de Blasio for his commitment to power 100 percent of City operations with renewable energy and urge him to ensure that offshore wind power plays a major role in achieving that goal.
At the rally, a letter signed by over 50 diverse organizations calling for offshore wind power was delivered to the Mayor. The letter highlights the massive potential of offshore wind power to reduce pollution and spark transformative job creation in New York City and across the state. Prioritizing offshore wind power for NYC is also crucial for meeting Mayor de Blasio's broader goal of cutting climate pollution in New York City 80 percent by 2050 and 35 percent within government operations by 2025. The letter also calls on New York State and the Federal Government to take the actions necessary to launch offshore wind power for New York.
With the Supreme Court issuing a temporary stay to President Obama's federal Clean Power Plan just last week, moving forward to develop clean energy--and especially offshore wind--has never been more important.
In addition to the Mayor's goals to drastically cut carbon emissions 80 percent by 2030, New York City is the largest city in the world to set a 100 percent renewable energy generation goal for city operations.
Event partners offered the following quotes detailing their support for offshore wind power:
"The construction and utilization of offshore wind power has the potential to transform New York's economy and environment, replacing dirty coal with a clean and abundant form of energy. As New York strives to meet the goal of 50 percent generation of electricity from carbon-free renewable by 2030 outlined in Governor Cuomo's ambitious Reforming the Energy Vision initiative, wind power will play an increasingly essential role. Achievement of these long-term goals, however, will require a long-term commitment from our state. Working with stakeholders like the Sierra Club and my colleagues in the legislature I look forward to implementing a progressive plan for wind power production that invests in New York's future while respecting the interests of local communities and wildlife habitats."
-- State Senator Brad Hoylman, Ranking Member of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee
"Thanks to Mayor de Blasio, New York City is leading by example by pledging to make the switch to renewable energy. Investing in offshore wind power will help us make that transition while creating jobs for New Yorkers and reducing local air pollution. I look forward to working with the administration, the Sierra Club, NYPIRG, and the Center for Working Families to make ensure we make smart choices as we move away from fossil fuels."
-- New York City Councilman Ben Kallos
"We applaud Mayor de Blasio for making New York City a leader on equitable climate action. Now the state and federal government can take the next step with a commitment to build a thriving offshore wind industry which would mean tens of thousands of good jobs in New York City and communities upstate alike."
-- Bill Lipton, Director, New York Working Families
"With his bold commitment to power city operations with 100 percent renewable energy, Mayor de Blasio is continuing to set a high bar for climate leadership, and we're calling on him to make offshore wind a significant part of reaching that 100 percent goal. Not only is offshore wind power poised to make a serious dent in our climate pollution, but a significant commitment to developing offshore wind promises improved urban air quality, long-term job creation across a wide variety of sectors, lower, more predictable energy costs, and the opportunity to invest our energy dollars locally."
-- Lisa Dix, Sierra Club, Senior Representative of the New York Beyond Coal campaign
"New York City can no longer afford to ignore the golden opportunity of offshore wind power. We need Mayor de Blasio, Governor Cuomo, and the federal government to take swift action to launch offshore wind power for New York at the scale necessary to spark massive job creation, reduce local air pollution, and protect wildlife and communities from the dangers of climate change."
-- Catherine Bowes, Senior Manager, National Wildlife Federation
"As an organization that formed in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, we deeply understand what is at stake if we, as a city, state, nation and world do not get serious about transitioning to renewable energy now. We are excited at the great potential for local jobs and sustainable energy that offshore wind would bring to NYC. We call on Mayor DeBlasio to stand with those communities most impacted by climate disaster and support offshore wind development. We can lead the way to a healthy, safe and just future. We can be the example that coastal cities across the nation look to. The future is looking bright...and windy!"
-- Kalin Callaghan, Rockaway Wildfire
"New York City is now positioned as a national climate leader with goals for New York City to cut emissions by 80 percent, divest from coal, expand green buildings, double solar power, and power 100 percent of city operations with renewable energy. One of the key next steps is for the state and federal government to open the door for offshore wind development. Building a thriving offshore wind industry will create thousands or tens of thousands of good jobs, slow climate change, and help prevent future storms like Hurricanes Sandy and Irene. The U.S. Energy Department has estimated that it would create nearly 40,000 jobs and 100 businesses around New York are ready to start building components for turbines."
-- Stephan Edel, Policy Director, Center for Working Families.
"Offshore wind energy has the power to transform our city. This technology could create good local jobs, make us more resilient in the face of climate change, and hasten our transition away from the dirty fuels of the past. The sooner Mayor de Blasio commits to offshore wind, the sooner we can make that transformation a reality, and lead New York State into the renewable economy."
-- Patrick Robbins, Co-Director, Sane Energy Project
"Offshore wind is a proven technology worldwide that needs to grow in New York. The offshore wind industry stands ready to help New York City meet its clean energy goals."
-- Anne Reynolds, Executive Director, Alliance for Clean Energy New York
"NYPIRG applauds Mayor de Blasio's leadership in committing to power its buildings through 100 percent renewable energy by 2030--an ambitious and doable goal. But the Mayor must take tangible steps to make the promise come to life. New York City can be a global leader in renewable energy by committing to offshore wind now."
-- Brennan Ortiz, NYPIRG member and Hunter College student.
"New York State banned hydraulic fracturing of dirty natural gas, stopped the creation of the Port Ambrose LNG port, and defeated the coal industry. It is now time to devote resources to building the renewable energy infrastructure, which depends on massive offshore wind, to propel us to meeting our reduced greenhouse gas emissions goals. Let's Win Wind now and provide clean air and green jobs to thousands of New Yorkers as we protect our state from the pending devastation of climate chaos.
-- Marilyn Vasta, 350NYC
"Scaling up offshore wind power around New York City can play a key role in delivering on the mayor's bold commitment to power the city's governmental buildings and operations with 100% renewable energy," "Not only will boosting local offshore wind power help fight climate change, reduce harmful air pollution and protect public health, but it will create good clean energy jobs right here in the city. We look forward to working with the city to get homegrown New York offshore wind power off the ground."
-- Kit Kennedy, Energy & Transportation Program Director, NRDC
"Offshore wind can help power New York with abundant pollution-free energy. We look forward to working with city and state leaders to make New York City a leader in the transition to 100 percent renewable energy."
-- Heather Leibowitz, Director of Environment New York.
"Staving off the worst impacts of our changing climate means we must transition from an electricity grid reliant on fossil fuels to systems powered by clean resources such as solar and wind. New York City has an opportunity, with its commitment to 100 percent renewable energy, to offer cities around the world a roadmap to a clean energy future. One of the keys to maintaining reliability and affordability will be a diverse and consistent clean energy supply. Offshore wind has proven it is up to the challenge and should be an integral component to the City's plan."
- Conor Bambrick, Air and Energy director, Environmental Advocates of New York
"Offshore wind is potentially the best option for delivering large scale renewable electricity generation to New York City and Long Island. Offshore wind power will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel use for New York City, it will also generate jobs and stimulate local economy. With climate change and sea level rising, time is of the essence. New York City needs to begin developing offshore wind power now."
-- Ling Tsou, Co-Founder, United for Action
"The Bronx, much of which is an environmental justice community, much of which suffers from environmental racism, much of which is an environmental sacrifice zone, demands a rapid shift to a just, 100 percent renewable energy economy and massive investments in energy efficiency and retrofitting. Bronx Climate Justice North stands with the rising tide of people all over New York City urging Mayor de Blasio to make offshore wind a significant component of a democratic energy future for all New Yorkers."
-- Jennifer Scarlott, Bronx Climate Justice North
"As a community-based peace and justice group with hundreds of members throughout Brooklyn, Brooklyn For Peace sees the issue of renewable energy as central to a long-term strategy for achieving peace for ourselves as well as for future generations. Development of renewable energy sources such as offshore wind will give our nation the possibility of energy independence and remove one of the major sources of conflict leading to war. We urge Mayor de Blasio to lead the way!"
-- Charlotte Phillips, M.D, Chairperson, Brooklyn For Peace
"There is no way for the US to avoid catastrophic climate change without a massive offshore wind effort. We look forward to the leadership of Mayor de Blasio to jumpstart offshore wind by having our city make a long term commitment to purchase electricity from wind."
-- Mark Dunlea, Green Education and Legal Fund
"Unlike offshore drilling, offshore wind provides power directly to coastal communities where we need energy the most, without the risk of oil spills or carbon pollution, while protecting our precious ocean ecosystems and marine-life."
-- Claire Douglass, Climate & Energy Team Campaign Director, Oceana
"NYC is in the position to be a leader on climate change, but in order to reach the 100 percent renewable goal, we need to begin investing in offshore wind now. We have the potential to generate 5,000 to 8,000 MW of wind power off the coast of Long Island alone, but we need a firm commitment from our elected leaders to ensure offshore wind projects move forward."
-- Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizen's Campaign for the Environment
Moving to clean energy, like the abundant wind power off our coasts, can help us tackle rampant racial and economic inequality. The federal Clean Power Plan, combined with ambitious state and local initiatives to move forward with renewable energy offers states a chance to expand economic opportunities, especially for communities of color and low-income communities.
-- Edgar Gomez, organizer with Community Voices Heard, an affiliate of National People's Action.
On Friday February 19, Sane Energy Project will be hosting a forum entitled "Offshore Wind for NYC From 4 Perspectives" at Saint Peter's Lutheran Church, 619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street, New York, NY. For more details, call (917) 364 7461.
The Sierra Club is the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. We amplify the power of our 3.8 million members and supporters to defend everyone's right to a healthy world.
(415) 977-5500LATEST NEWS
House Dems Unveil Sweeping Bill to Protect Worker Rights and Safety
"This bill will help level the playing field and, once again, restore the balance of power between workers and their employers," said Rep. Bobby Scott.
Jul 26, 2024
A group of Democratic U.S. House members on Friday unveiled legislation "aimed at bolstering protections for America's workers and ensuring accountability for employers who flout labor and employment laws."
The Labor Enforcement to Securely (LET'S) Protect Workers Act was introduced by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.)—the ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce—and House Labor Caucus Co-Chairs Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), and Steven Horsford (D-Nev.).
The bill's sponsors said their legislation is based on the premise that "employment laws are a promise to our nation's workers" meant to "secure the most basic rights of work."
"That promise is broken," they contended. "Recent shocking revelations about massive increases in the number of children illegally overworked and trafficked into dangerous jobs—just over 85 years since the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which was enacted to eliminate that very problem—is the latest example of the ways that this promise to America's workers is broken."
Across the U.S., Republican state lawmakers have been advancing legislation to remove restrictions on child labor, despite several high-profile workplace deaths of minors. At the federal level, Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) last year introduced a bill that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work in the logging industry.
The LET'S Protect Workers Act sponsors highlighted rampant wage theft and overtime violations, workplace injuries, and union-busting by employers who "know that even if a resource-starved Department of Labor catches a violation, the penalties are a mere slap on the wrist."
"People should be able to come home at the end of the day—alive, well, in one piece, and with all the wages they worked hard to earn," the lawmakers asserted. "Children should be in schools, not dangerous workplaces, and workers should be able to organize a union without interference or the threat of retaliation from their employers."
According to House Education and Workforce Committee Democrats, if passed, the LET'S Protect Workers Act would:
- Increase civil monetary penalties for violations of child labor, minimum wage and overtime, worker health and safety, and farmworker protection standards;
- Improve mine safety and reliable funding of black lung benefits through new and increased civil monetary penalties and the option to shut down scofflaw operators;
- Set new penalties for retaliation against workers who exercise their family and medical leave rights;
- Strengthen enforcement of mental health parity requirements for employer-sponsored health plans;
- Close a loophole that allows employers to escape penalties for failing to keep records of workplace injuries if [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration] does not detect the violation within six months; and
- Create new penalties for violations of the National Labor Relations Act, consistent with the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.
"Every American should be fairly compensated and be able to return home safely at the end of the day," Scott said in a statement Friday. "Unfortunately, shortcomings in our labor laws enable unethical employers to exploit workers, endanger children, and suppress the right to organize—with little accountability."
"That's why I'm proud to introduce the LET'S Protect Workers Act, which will hold bad actors accountable and strengthen penalties for labor law violations," he added. "This bill will help level the playing field and, once again, restore the balance of power between workers and their employers."
In a joint statement, Dingell, Horsford, Norcross, and Pocan said that "the lack of meaningful enforcement makes it all too easy for bad faith actors to get away with illegally violating workers' rights—from firing workers for organizing a union, to allowing children to work overnight shifts, or jeopardizing workers' safety by ignoring workplace regulations."
"We're proud to join Ranking Member Scott in introducing this bill to crack down on unscrupulous employers and to ensure that workers receive the protections they deserve," the lawmakers added.
Earlier this month, nearly 50 labor organizations led by the AFL-CIO and representing a wide range of U.S. workers urged congressional Democrats to resist Republican efforts to roll back rules enacted by the Biden administration to protect worker rights amid relentless attacks by abusive employers.
Specifically, the labor groups warned that Republicans are trying to use the Congressional Review Act—which was enacted to strengthen oversight of federal rulemaking—to overturn pro-worker rules enacted by the Department of Labor and other government bodies.
Meanwhile, Republicans including former President Donald Trump—the 2024 GOP nominee—have been trying to woo U.S. workers with proposals including a tax exemption for tipped employees panned as a "
hollow promise" by experts and by inviting Teamsters president Sean O'Brien to speak at the Republican National Convention last week.
In response to Republicans' dubious courting of U.S. labor, Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas)—who is a co-sponsor of the LET'S Protect Workers Act—recently called for holding what would be a largely symbolic vote on the PRO Act. The bill was revived last year by Scott and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and, if passed, would expand labor protections including the right to organize and collectively bargain.
"If Republicans wanna talk like they're pro-worker, then let's have a vote on the PRO Act next week," Casar
said on social media last week. "Let's see which politicians are for unions and which ones are all talk. Dems are ready to vote, how about you guys?"
Keep ReadingShow Less
Amnesty Urges War Crimes Probe of Landmines in Russian-Occupied Ukraine
"In every region in Ukraine that was formerly occupied by Russia, we have seen evidence of civilians killed and injured by antipersonnel mines left behind by Russian forces," said one researcher.
Jul 26, 2024
Amnesty International on Friday demanded a "prompt, thorough, independent, and impartial investigation" into the use of antipersonnel landmines, "which litter territories in Ukraine formerly and currently occupied by Russian forces."
The Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor says that Ukraine is "severely contaminated" with antipersonnel landmines, which Russia's troops have used since 2014, but particularly since Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
"Landmines have been documented in 11 of Ukraine's 27 regions: Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia," according to the monitor's latest update, published in November. "Russian forces have used at least 13 types of antipersonnel mines in Ukraine since February 2022."
Ukraine is a state party to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on Their Destruction of 1997 but lacks legislation to enforce its implementation. Human Rights Watch last summer gathered evidence of the Ukrainian military's use of the banned mines. Russia is not a party to the treaty.
Patrick Thompson, a Ukraine researcher at Amnesty, said Friday that "in every region in Ukraine that was formerly occupied by Russia, we have seen evidence of civilians killed and injured by antipersonnel mines left behind by Russian forces."
"They are a daily, deadly threat to civilians. Some have been deliberately placed in civilian homes where they maim and kill," Thompson highlighted. "There must be an effective investigation into all such incidents as possible war crimes."
The group shared just one survivor's story of encountering a mine:
In March 2022, Russian forces evicted Oleksandr* (not his real name) and his mother from their flat in Snihurivka, in the region of Mykolaiv. A Russian military unit took over the entire apartment block until it was forced to withdraw following fierce fighting around Snihurivka in November 2022.
After the Russian retreat, Oleksandr returned to the apartment block to assess how badly it had been damaged. Upon entering the basement, he stepped on a disguised PFM-1 antipersonnel mine that had been placed under wooden planks. The mine exploded, Oleksandr fell, and landed on other disguised mines that had apparently, had been deliberately placed to injure or kill anyone entering the building. He lost both his left leg and arm in the incident.
“The deminers working to clear Ukraine of this threat are carrying out painstaking, dangerous work every day," Thompson noted. "While the scale of the problem is undeniably huge, the biggest obstacle to clearing Ukraine of landmines is Russia's ongoing aggression."
Thompson called on the international community to "commit to sustained financial and technical assistance to help Ukraine get rid of a danger that continues to wreck lives and livelihoods," and to continue fighting for an end to the use of the weapons.
"Countries must uphold the ban on the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of antipersonnel mines worldwide," he said. "There must be an end to the use of such indiscriminate weapons."
The most recent report from the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine states that the war has killed at least 11,284 civilians there since 2022 and injured another 22,594—though the actual tallies are believed to be "considerably higher."
"The number of civilian casualties is likely particularly undercounted in cities such as Mariupol (Donetsk region), Lysychansk, Popasna, and Sievierodonetsk (Luhansk region), where there was protracted intensive fighting at the start of the armed attack in 2022," according to the report.
While most of the deaths and injuries in Ukraine are attributed to "explosive weapons with wide area effects," the U.N. report accounts for at least 373 deaths and 855 injuries from "mines and explosive remnants of war."
Keep ReadingShow Less
G20 Nations Take 'Important Step' Toward Fair Taxation of Ultra-Rich
"Our proposal for a common minimum tax on billionaires is now on the map. G20 finance ministers have started to engage with it—and there is no going back," said progressive economist Gabriel Zucman.
Jul 26, 2024
Despite pushback from the United States delegation, finance ministers at a meeting of the G20 countries in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday agreed on the need to develop a global taxation system in which the richest in the world are taxed at a higher rate—potentially unlocking hundreds of billions of dollars annually to help close the international wealth gap.
Ahead of the G20 Summit scheduled for November, which Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government will host, the finance officials met this week to discuss economic issues and ultimately agreed to start a "dialogue on fair and progressive taxation, including of ultra-high-net-worth individuals."
The Lula government pushed for a proposal by progressive economist Gabriel Zucman, who serves as a G20 adviser and is a professor of economics at University of California, Berkeley.
Zucman's proposal calls for a minimum 2% tax on the fortunes of the world's roughly 3,000 wealthiest billionaires, which could raise approximately $250 billion globally per year.
"With full respect to tax sovereignty, we will seek to engage cooperatively to ensure that ultra-high-net-worth individuals are effectively taxed," the ministers wrote in a declaration that was viewed by Politico.
"Finally, the richest people are being told they can't game the tax system or avoid paying their fair share. Governments have for too long been complicit in helping the ultra-rich pay little or zero tax."
The agreement to discuss higher taxes for the rich was reached despite objections from Germany and the U.S., whose treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, said that "tax policy is very difficult to coordinate globally."
"We don't see a need or really think it's desirable to try to negotiate a global agreement on that," Yellen said at a press conference before the ministers met Thursday evening. "We think that all countries should make sure that their taxation systems are fair and progressive."
Although the agreement only states that countries will discuss the need for the wealthy to pay their fair share to help fight poverty and fund public education and other services, the global anti-poverty group Oxfam International said the meeting represented "serious global progress."
"For the first time in history, the world's largest economies have agreed to cooperate to tax the ultra-rich," said Susana Ruiz, tax policy lead for Oxfam. "Finally, the richest people are being told they can't game the tax system or avoid paying their fair share. Governments have for too long been complicit in helping the ultra-rich pay little or zero tax. Massive fortunes afford the world's ultra-rich outsized influence and power, which they wield to shield, stash, and supersize their wealth, undercutting democracy and widening inequality."
An Oxfam study released ahead of this week's meetingfound that the richest 1% of people in the world increased their fortunes by $42 trillion over the past decade, while taxation fell to "historically" low rates.
Ruiz called on G20 heads of state to "go further than their finance ministers" at the G20 Summit in November "and back concrete coordination: agreeing on a new global standard that taxes the ultra-rich at a rate high enough to close the gap between them and the rest of us."
"Brazil has kickstarted a truly global approach to tax the ultra-rich. But the work is just beginning and international cooperation is crucial," said Ruiz, adding that the task of ensuring the wealthiest people in the world are taxed fairly must not be left up to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)—"the club of mostly rich countries."
Zucman expressed hope that the agreement between the G20 finance ministers marked a "historic" moment, and called it "an important step in the right direction."
"Our proposal for a common minimum tax on billionaires is now on the map. G20 finance ministers have started to engage with it—and there is no going back," said Zucman. "In its declaration, the G20 finance ministers commit to important preliminary steps. They need to do more and commit to a coordinated minimum tax on the super-rich. We know that it is practically doable—we know the solutions exist. And I'm confident, because there is overwhelming popular demand everywhere to get there."
"The status quo, in which the biggest winners from globalization are allowed to enjoy the lowest tax rates, is simply not sustainable," said Zucman.
The findings released this week by Oxfam highlighted polling that "consistently" found people across the world support raising taxes on the richest individuals.
"Eighty percent of Indians, 85% of Brazilians and 69% of people polled across 34 countries in Africa support increasing taxes on the rich," said the group. "Nearly three-quarters of millionaires polled in G20 countries support higher taxes on wealth, and over half think extreme wealth is a 'threat to democracy.'"
The Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation (ICRICT) applauded the agreement and called on the G20 to "go further in [the] fight to tax the rich."
"To take this forward, G20 should support work on this at the Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation currently being negotiated at the United Nations," said Jayati Ghosh, co-chair of the ICRICT.
A U.N. committee is scheduled to submit "terms of reference" regarding a tax convention framework in August, and a final vote on the framework is expected by the end of 2025.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular