NASA announced this past week that 2018 was both the hottest and costliest for weather related natural disasters on record within a 140 years of record-keeping. Last year, it was recorded that the earth’s temperature reached 1 degree Celsius above average.

The goal of reducing carbon emissions is to prevent it from reaching 2 degrees Celsius which would have catastrophic effects. However, climate change indicators are not just rises in temperature, but can also be linked to increasing cold as experienced by the polar vortex that hit the Mid-west and Northeast recently. While it may not have been surprising that this topic wasn’t broached in the President’s State of the Union address, it does make you wonder how the nation’s infrastructure can be improved without addressing climate-caused natural disasters.

In New York, we do have concerned legislators such as Senator Todd Kaminsky who are willing to take on this environmental nightmare by proposing the NYS Climate and Community Protection Act. If passed, this would put NYS on a path to 100% renewable energy by 2050 and set benchmarks of progress along the way. Public hearings are set for February 12th through 15th around the state.

Certainly, the approval of this bill would fit into Gov. Cuomo’s State of the State speech of making New York “carbon neutral”by converting 70% of this state’s electricity to renewable energy by 2030 among other measures. Even if you can’t attend a public hearing, let the legislature know that you support the Climate and Community Protection Act (A.3876/5.2992). Our children and grandchildren will thank you.