Latest Long Islands: Long Island

Traffic is a notable problem in New York as mass transit is becoming riddled with delays, signal failures, and decades-old infrastructure. Congestion pricing would raise much-needed funding for long-term improvements to the region’s transit system, reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from cars, and decrease traffic congestion by encouraging the use of public transportation.

Over the last fifty years, there has been a major increase in extreme weather, such as heat waves, droughts, and intense hurricanes. One of the most direct ways we experience the effects of climate change first-hand is when our communities are hit with extreme weather - and we can expect extreme weather events to increase in frequency and severity over time.

Technology and digital innovations have had a positive impact on our environment - we have the internet to thank for a large reduction of paper and waste. But these innovations can also have negative impacts that we should be aware of.

Earlier this year the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) found that toxic chemicals in drinking water can be harmful at much lower levels than the EPA previously reported as safe. Newly disclosed e-mails between members of the EPA revealed that the agency tried to keep this information hidden to avoid conflict with the public and a negative reaction from the media.

Elected officials and advocates are joining together to fight back against the federal government's plan to open up the Atlantic Coast for offshore drilling.

Last week, Governor Cuomo vetoed a bill that would have expanded Long Island’s Pine Barrens preserve. The expansion onto private lands was hastily proposed at the end of the legislative session last year and would have included plots where major solar farms were set to be constructed in Bethel and Shoreham.