During NYLCV’s annual spring gala event on May 18, 2006 guest speaker Mayor Michael Bloomberg expressed his gratitude for the League’s support and his goal of transforming New York into an environmentally friendly city.

Bloomberg asked New Yorkers to build on their legacy of innovation to combine environmental, economic, cultural, and social progress. Focusing on the importance and potential of sustainability, the Mayor noted: “Sustainability is a philosophy of realistic optimism. It demands that we make sound investments today to meet the challenges of tomorrow, and find innovative long-term solutions to our most intractable problems. And it’s within our power to do that—if we are confident, creative, and courageous.”

This is a critical juncture for the administration, which has already taken a number of innovative steps towards protecting the quality of life for future generations of New Yorkers. The creation of over 300 acres of new City parks, the continued clean-up of toxic brownfield sites, and efforts to address the air-pollution from heavy-duty construction and city vehicles have improved the City’s environmental quality. The Mayor’s administration has invested in projects that will protect and improve water quality, contributing nearly $4 billion to the Third Water Tunnel and accumulating over 50,000 acres of the city’s watershed. In addition, the recently passed Solid Waste Management Plan will reduce the environmental burdens placed on low-income communities by the current waste management system.

During his speech, the Mayor emphasized his intentions of channeling past successes into continued environmental progress. In this spirit, he announced the formation of a sustainability task force to create an agenda for New York City’s environmental future for years to come. This group will work closely with a new Division of Sustainability, an office to be created under the Mayor’s Office of Operations. The League is hopeful the new division will seize this opportunity and move a comprehensive environmental agenda forward.

Bloomberg also unveiled plans to increase the number of alternative-fuel taxi-cabs by requiring 254 of 308 new medallions for sale be for alternative-fuel vehicles. In addition, he discussed proposals to rejuvenate the East River waterfront and Governor’s Island and create a Brooklyn Bridge Park, allowing residents and visitors to enjoy these neighborhoods far into the future.

The Mayor’s plans reflect one central goal: “let’s take the values of sustainability—which have been the hallmark of all our environmental achievements for the past four years—and weave them into the city’s future for decades to come.”

--Amy Weinfurter

Newsletter Issue

• 2006 Summer EcoPolitics