Our lives depend on these bills

To the editor:

Those of us who live in Riverdale and care deeply about the climate crisis and environmental justice are fortunate to have as our Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz.

Jeff is the Assembly sponsor of an important piece of legislation called the Climate Change Superfund Act, which will make the corporations that release the most greenhouse gasses pay for the pollution and harm they have been causing. This bill will, for the first time, shift the burden of paying for the climate crisis away from taxpayers and onto corporate polluters.

We live in the borough with the highest asthma rates in New York state thanks, in large part, to the air pollution caused by burning fossil fuels on our local highway, by our buildings, and by our local power plants. It is time this ends, and we see relief from the climate crisis that is causing catastrophes for us — like Hurricane Ida, which flooded the Major Deegan Expressway and stranded hundreds of local motorists.

In addition to the Climate Change Superfund Act, there are two other things the state legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul need to include in this year’s budget: the New York Heat Act and the People’s Climate Justice Budget.

The former would eliminate the costly requirement that ratepayers pay for the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure, lowering energy bills while fighting climate change. The latter will generate approximately $1 billion for climate and climate justice projects, including many here in the Bronx.

Like Assemblyman Dinowitz, our state senator, Gustavo Rivera, has been a supporter and co-sponsor of climate legislation.

Now we need to convince Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to push for the Climate Change Superfund Act, the New York Heat Act, and the People’s Climate Justice Budget to be passed this year.

Our lives depend on it.

Jack Gorman