Saluting New York's environmental champions

NYLCV Chair Bob Hallman, right, presents our Greener Skkyline Awards to Douglas Durst, of The Durst OrganizationNEW YORK - Environmentalists, policy makers, elected officials, corporate leaders and VIPs turned out for the New York League of Conservation Voters "Celebrating a Greener Skyline" cocktail party on Oct. 27, held at a private club in Midtown Manhattan.

With a program kicked off by Lt. Gov. Dick Ravitch, the evening's keynote speaker was New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who has led the fight to make the state a national leader in energy efficiency and sustainability. Among his many 2009 accomplishments, Speaker Silver sponsored the Green Jobs/Green New York Act, which will dramatically scale up efforts to boost energy efficiency in the built environment.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon SilverNYLCV presented our 2009 Greener Skyline Award to The Durst Organization. In presenting the award to Douglas Durst, NYLCV Chairman Robert Hallman singled out the company's leadership in green building; The Durst Organization planned and designed the nation's first "green" skyscraper as well as the first LEED platinum-certified skyscraper. Energy efficiency plays a key role in fighting climate change; in New York City, buildings account for nearly 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.

Lt. Gov. Dick Ravitch with NYLCV's NYC Chapter Chair Ken Fisher"Through four generations, The Durst Organization has put environmental responsibility at the heart of their business," said Robert Hallman, NYLCV's chairman. "We are proud to honor The Durst Organization as our 2009 Greener Skyline Awardee."

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 The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) was founded in 1989 as a nonpartisan, policy-making and political action organization that works to make environmental protection a top priority with elected officials, decision makers, and voters by evaluating incumbent performance and endorsing and electing environmental leaders to office in New York State.