The following article is from the May 2007 issue of

Marcia Bystryn kicks off the press conferenceOn April 23, 2007, the day after Earth Day, The Campaign for New York's Future, a newly formed coalition of over 100 civic, business, environmental, labor, religious, public health and community organizations stood on the steps of city hall to announce their partnership in the effort "to make every neighborhood in NYC a great place to live and work, as well as make a significant contribution to fighting climate change."

Coming on the heels of Mayor Bloomberg's unprecedented Earth Day speech - at which he announced over 127 action items to protect and develop New York City's land, air, water, transportation and energy infrastructures while simultaneously decreasing the city's carbon footprint by 30%.

The launch of the campaign marked the first step of a concerted lobbying and public relations effort with the goal of implementing the vision of PlaNYC. Member organizations include diverse interest and community groups as far reaching as the New York League of Conservation Voters, the New York City Partnership, the Central Labor Council, the Transport Workers Union, the NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign, the New York Environmental Justice Alliance, religious leaders from throughout the five boroughs and a number of neighborhood based civic associations.

UPROSE Director Elizabeth Yeampierre

Their goal is "to encourage public debate - as well as fair and effective action - now and in the years to come. We recognize the need to both seize the opportunity for immediate action and to insure that this long-term plan evolves with continued dialogue and changing conditions. Our challenges with traffic and congestion, pollution, energy - not to mention the housing squeeze - will only worsen as we grow and our infrastructure ages. We have to plan today for a greener, greater city for our children tomorrow - or it just won't happen."

Speaker Quinn Supports PlaNYC

Over the next few weeks, months and possibly years, the Campaign for New York's Future will take to the airwaves and the streets of the city, walk the halls of Albany and work with the city council and the administration to ensure that long-term sustainability in New York City is not simply a plan but becomes a reality.

Newsletter Issue

• Ecopolitics Monthly --- May 2007