Senator Gianaris Recognizes Earth Day

Pledges to Continue Fighting for Greener New York

Queens, NY – Senator Michael Gianaris celebrates Earth Day on April 22 by continuing his advocacy for stronger environmental laws to better protect and conserve our environment.

Senator Gianaris is a longtime leader in the effort to clean our environment. Recently, he introduced a series of legislative proposals to ensure better environmental policies in New York State.

“Earth Day serves as an important reminder of our responsibility to the planet,” Senator Gianaris said. “We cannot continue to take a reactive approach to environmental protection. My proposals would take proactive steps to safeguard our environment and prevent further damage.”

Senator Gianaris has introduced bills that would do the following:

• Facilitate the implementation of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which is an agreement among Northeast states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and generate funding for energy conservation and efficiency projects.

• Increase penalties for polluters and others who violate our environmental laws. In addition to fines, violators would be at risk of losing their permits or permit applications for power projects.

• Increase energy efficiency by establishing new standards for lights used in public buildings.

Among Senator Gianaris’ first accomplishments as a legislator was his Clean Energy Act, which he authored and got passed in 2001. The Clean Energy Act encourages power companies to upgrade their facilities with new, cleaner and more efficient power plants rather than continuing to operate dirty, old power plants.

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