The 350NYC Sustainable Solutions working group is committed to helping New Yorker’s reduce their carbon footprint and advocate for solutions to the climate emergency, like community solar, off-shore wind, and other sustainable lifestyle options. In addition, we advocate for city and state policies and legislative actions that will accelerate the transition to a clean renewable energy economy.
Advocacy
Sustainable NYC, a project of 350NYC, supports the campaign for “100% Renewables by 2030”, being led by the NY Green Education and Legal Fund. Support the NY State Campaign for 100% Renewables by 2030!
Call your state legislators to ask them to sign on as co-sponsors to the NYS 100% by 2030 bill A7497 (Colton) and S 5527 (Hoylman). Assembly switchboard is 518 455-4100; Senate is 518 455-2800
Sign the 100% by 2030 petition and find out how your organization can sign on in support of this goal.
Campaigns
Small Campaigns = Big Change
Switch to Wind NYC
If you are a typical NYC resident, at present only 2% of your electricity comes from renewable sources: the other 98% is from a mixture of oil, gas, coal, hydroelectric and nuclear power.If you live in a house or small/medium apartment building, we suggest that you explore the option of installing solar panels.
However, for New Yorkers who live in larger apartment buildings, the most convenient, sustainable choice is to switch to wind energy through Green Power Purchasing. Whether you rent or own your apartment, every New Yorker who pays their own utility bill has the power to choose a clean, renewable energy. Your choice can make a contribution to solving the climate crisis.
Learn more about how to divest your personal electricity usage from fossil fuels!
350NYC has partnered with Clean Choice Energy to 
help New Yorkers get 100% wind power through their regular electricity bill. Click here to sign up!
Lighting the Way NYC
Be part of a bright idea! In 2016 350NYC embarked on a project inspired by Green Light New Orleans, that installs energy saving CFL light bulbs free of charge. In NYC we partnered with a local organization to go one step further, installing free LED lightbulbs in a low-income, senior citizen housing facility. Our project resulted in energy savings for tenants and lower carbon emissions and a lot of unexpected positive outcomes for the participants.
Education & Sustainable Living
Agriculture, Farming, Food
Animal agriculture is responsible for major environmental impacts on our land, water and air and is responsible for significant carbon emissions. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 18% of global GHG emissions come from animal agriculture. The same report attributes less than that to industry, transportation and the energy sector. Another report by www.worldwatch.org that incorporates additional sources and methods of calculation, suggests livestock contribution of greater than 51% to global GHG emissions. Irrespective of where we actually lie on this spectrum of contribution from 18% to 51%, we can all agree that the impact is significant. 350NYC does not have an active campaign around sustainable agriculture but we have made it part of our climate education program.
Waste Reduction & Sustainability
“In a 2011 report, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that, in 2007, about 1.6 billion tons of food were wasted. For comparison, about 6 billion tons of food were produced globally that year.
But an aspect of the food-waste issue that has perhaps received less attention is its contribution to global greenhouse-gas emissions. In the same report, the FAO estimated that in 2007, the global carbon footprint of all of this wasted food was about 3.3 billion tons of carbon-dioxide equivalents — that’s 7 percent of all global emissions. To put that into perspective, this is more carbon than most countries emit in a year. In fact, only China and the United States exceeded this amount in nationwide carbon emissions that year.” (source: Washington Post)
Learn more about how you can reduce waste and become part of the solution.
