Planning is an important component of success in life. The same is true for government. Developing a plan that relies on broad input, is based on the most recent science and best practices, and recommends specific actions is the hallmark of high functioning government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New York often follows that blueprint when it comes to planning, but too frequently falls short when it comes to acting on its own plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Attacking the problem of the worsening climate is one example. The planet is heating up and 2024 was the world\u2019s hottest<\/a> year in recorded history. The world\u2019s climate scientists have agreed<\/a> that \u201cHuman activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming\u201d and that \u201climiting human-caused global warming requires net zero CO2<\/sub> emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act<\/a> (\u201cClimate Law\u201d) was approved six years ago and was designed to set the state on a path toward \u201cnet zero\u201d greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of this Century. The \u201cnet zero\u201d goal is consistent with the <\/a>standard<\/a> set by the world\u2019s climate scientists \u2013 who have warned that in order to avoid the worst consequences of global heating, all nations need to adhere to the net zero goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New York\u2019s Climate Law set interim goals<\/a> designed to guide policymakers as benchmark steps to meet the targets advised by the world\u2019s climate experts. Those interim <\/a>goals commit the state to generate 70 percent of its electricity from renewable power sources and achieve a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 \u2013 just five years from now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the Climate Law was passed the state convened a panel of \u201cstakeholders\u201d to develop a detailed blueprint<\/a> to meet the law\u2019s milestone goals. That blueprint was <\/a>released at the end of 2022. Yet, once the fanfare of signing the bill passed and the rollout of the blueprint was over, little was done<\/a> to meet the challenges<\/a> set in the Climate Law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since so little was accomplished, the oil industry, its allies, and other opponents have pounced and argued that the Law needs to be rolled back<\/a>. They contend the Climate Law not only increased energy costs, but also has goals that are too ambitious<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both of these arguments are not backed up by the facts. The European Union recently reported<\/a> that it will have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50%<\/em> by the year 2030. That goal was set as a midpoint measure to meet the science-based goal<\/a> of virtually eliminating all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. If the EU can do it, we in the United States can, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New York\u2019s residential electricity rates are high, however, relative to the nation\u2019s. But that has been true for years. For example in 2018 \u2013 the year before the state climate law was signed \u2013 New York\u2019s residential electricity rates were ranked<\/a> the seventh-highest in the nation. Now they are ranked<\/a> eighth highest. Still high to be sure, but the impact of the Climate Law\u2019s passage didn\u2019t make a meaningful difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, as a result of the oil industry\u2019s expensive propaganda campaign<\/a>, the Hochul Administration is in retreat<\/a> on the state\u2019s climate-fighting initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another example of the failure to aggressively implement its own blueprint is New York\u2019s mounting garbage crisis. Two years ago this week<\/em>, the state Department of Environmental Conservation issued its \u201cNew York State Solid Waste Management Plan<\/a>\u201d to tackle that emerging problem. Among its recommendations, the DEC argued that the state should reduce or recycle its solid wastes at the rate of 85 percent<\/a> and do so by embracing a \u201ccircular economy\u201d approach, one that relies on ensuring that the producer of the waste is responsible for it \u2013 not<\/em> the taxpayers. The plan urged action to, among other things, expand<\/a> the state\u2019s bottle deposit law and reduce packaging wastes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right now, the number<\/a> one place that residential trash goes to is a landfill; number two is export for disposal; number three is burning; and the last is to be recycled. There is no evidence that the problem is getting better. In fact, the state\u2019s residential recycling rate has been dropping<\/a> over the past decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The state\u2019s capacity to tackle this problem is dwindling. According<\/a> to the DEC, \u201cNew York\u2019s 25 municipal solid waste landfills have a combined landfill capacity of between 16 and 25 years.\u201d If the state\u2019s landfills are filled to capacity in a decade or so, what will happen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n