When New York’s draft scoping plan, written by the Climate Action Council, is finalized later this year, it will impact every New Yorker: our energy choices, the industries we work in, the communities we live in, the investments we make in affordable energy, and the ways we can protect ourselves and our neighborhoods against climate change.
Right now, that plan is still just a draft, and until June 10, the public has a chance to weigh in on it. How will climate action affect you, and how can you make your voice heard?
In this conversation, moderated by River climate reporter Lissa Harris, we talk with people who have been following the state’s climate planning process closely about what the scoping plan means for all New Yorkers—and what action you can take.
Panelists include:
- Jen Metzger, PhD, served in the state Senate in 2019-20, and currently advises on climate and energy policy with the nonprofit organization New Yorkers for Clean Power. Prior to her election, she served for over a decade in local government in the town of Rosendale, and cofounded and directed Citizens for Local Power.
- Rahwa Ghirmatzion is the executive director of PUSH Buffalo, a grassroots community organization that works to create quality affordable housing and advance economic and environmental justice in Western New York. She serves on the New York State Climate Justice Working Group, a group created by New York’s 2019 climate law to identify disadvantaged communities on the front lines of climate change that will be a focus for state climate investment.
- Raya Salter, Esq., is a member of the New York State Climate Action Council, founder of the newly launched Energy Justice Law and Policy Center, and a former policy organizer with NY Renews.
- Rev. Dr. Gregory Simpson is the pastor of Nauraushaun Presbyterian Church in Pearl River and cofounder of the Hudson Valley Environmental Justice Coalition. A leader in local environmental and climate justice issues, Rev. Simpson is also a STEM educator and consultant with a doctorate in organic chemistry. Among other volunteer work, he serves on the boards of Riverkeeper, the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, and Ulster County Community College.
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