{"id":1974879,"date":"2023-07-17T06:36:01","date_gmt":"2023-07-17T10:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-city-pushes-the-limits-of-green-policies\/"},"modified":"2023-07-17T06:41:34","modified_gmt":"2023-07-17T10:41:34","slug":"new-york-city-pushes-the-limits-of-green-policies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-city-pushes-the-limits-of-green-policies\/","title":{"rendered":"NYC pushes green policies to the max."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnew-york-city-pushes-the-limits-of-green-policies%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1974879&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>New York City&#8217;s Bold Green Experimentation\u200d Sparks \u200dControversy<\/h2>\n<p>New \u200dYork\u200c City \u2064has \u200cembraced\u200b a set\u200d of \u2064controversial\u200b policies that push the limits \u2064of \u2062green \u2064experimentation in\u2064 seeking \u2063to \u200dreduce emissions from\u2062 buildings, \u200bkitchen appliances, \u200band cars. Critics argue the\u200b new policies are \u200blikely\u200c to be costly\u2063 and burdensome for\u200c the city&#8217;s millions of residents.<\/p>\n<h3>Tyranny of the\u200b Majority, or \u200bthe \u2063Minority of\u200b One<\/h3>\n<p>Last month, the \u200bcity \u200cgained\u2063 federal approval for a\u200b congestion \u2064pricing\u200b plan, clearing the\u200d way\u200c for the \u200bcontentious effort to take\u200d effect as \u200bearly as April \u200b2024, despite\u2063 sharp \u2064opposition from Garden State neighbors.\u200d The plan would\u200d approve \u200ba\u2064 tax \u200bon vehicles entering \u2064the central\u2064 business district \u2063in Manhattan.<\/p>\n<p>And\u200d the \u2062New York City\u2064 Department of Environmental Protection even finalized a \u2062draft rule in June\u200d that \u2062seeks \u200cto crack down on\u200b coal-fired\u200c or wood-fired pizza\u2062 ovens in the city, \u200bwhich could \u2064affect\u200b dozens of restaurants\u2064 as\u2062 well \u200das a\u2063 beloved style of\u2062 pizza-making\u2062 in\u200c the Big Apple.<\/p>\n<p>These\u2063 new programs have helped put New York City\u200c at the forefront \u200cof U.S. climate change-fighting\u200b efforts. But \u200dcritics \u200cargue these\u2062 new\u2062 programs saddle\u2062 residents with\u2062 higher costs, noting that \u2064they\u200c could force residents\u2063 to make costly new upgrades if gas-powered appliances in\u2062 their \u200dbuildings\u200d are down or need\u2062 repair, while \u2064some\u200d workers who commute\u200d into Manhattan \u200bfrom neighboring \u200cNew Jersey will be saddled with\u200b sky-high \u2063toll fees without\u200c the same environmental \u200bbenefits. And others \u2063fear \u2063changes to the\u2062 city&#8217;s restaurant scene.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2062decisions have placed \u200cNew York City \u200cfront\u200b and center in \u2063the country&#8217;s broader culture wars \u2064over how to curb emissions,\u200d and have\u200c pitted environmentalists against\u200b fossil fuel\u2064 advocates and others who say \u2063making the switch\u2062 to renewables or all-electric appliances too \u200bquickly could come at\u200d the cost \u2063of \u200dreliability, or\u200c at a pace that consumers\u200b simply cannot\u200c afford.<\/p>\n<h2>Here\u2019s\u200b a \u2063breakdown\u2062 of\u200c what \u2063the city\u2062 has done so \u2064far.<\/h2>\n<h3>Congestion Pricing<\/h3>\n<p>Last\u2064 month,\u200b the\u2064 Federal\u2063 Highway \u200dAdministration granted \u2062New York \u200cCity its final\u200b approval for\u2063 its\u2063 congestion pricing plan, clearing the way for the city\u2019s Metropolitan Transit\u2063 Agency to impose new \u2063toll \u2062rates\u2062 for drivers, \u200dyears\u200b after\u2063 the concept was first introduced in \u20622007 by then-New York \u2063City Mayor \u200cMichael Bloomberg.<\/p>\n<p>Though\u200d the city has\u200b yet to\u200c finalize\u200c a\u200b price, one\u2064 proposal under \u200bconsideration\u2063 would impose costs\u200c of \u2064up to $23 \u2064for\u2063 drivers entering\u2062 midtown during\u200b rush hour \u2063and \u200cup to \u2064$17 during\u200c off-peak \u200chours.<\/p>\n<p>The plan has \u2062been hailed as a victory by New Yorkers, including \u200dGov. Kathy Hochul \u200c(D-NY), \u200dwho said it will reduce congestion for\u2063 Manhattan drivers\u200c and\u200b improve the\u200d city\u2019s\u2062 air \u2062quality.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2064 plan \u2064will also help upgrade the city\u2019s metro system, \u200cdelivering\u2063 the &#8220;modern, reliable, accessible \u200dsubway&#8221; that New\u200b Yorkers, commuters, and\u200d visitors\u200d to the city\u200b &#8220;need\u2064 and deserve,&#8221; Danny \u200bPearlstein, a spokesman for the New York-based Riders\u200b Alliance,\u2064 told\u200c the Washington Examiner in an interview.<\/p>\n<p>But it has generated sharp opposition \u200bfrom\u200d neighbors in New Jersey,\u2062 including Gov.\u2064 Phil Murphy (D-NJ),\u200d a \u2062staunch \u200dcritic\u200c of the plan who has\u2064 argued \u2062it was passed \u200cwithout proper\u2064 environmental approval \u2063(the signoff was \u2063given on a nearly 1,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-city-congestion-tax\/\" title=\"NYC congestion tax\">000-page environmental assessment<\/a> that \u200bincluded a finding of no significant\u200d impact).<\/p>\n<h3>Building Emissions<\/h3>\n<p>Earlier this year, New York\u200d became the first state in the \u200bcountry to ban \u200cnatural\u200d gas stoves and furnaces in\u200c most new\u2064 buildings. By the year 2026, \u2064the \u2063law requires \u200ball new \u200dbuildings \u2064under \u2064seven stories to have all fully electric appliances, while taller \u200dbuildings will \u2064have until\u2062 2029 to make the \u200bchange.<\/p>\n<p>New \u200cYork City, for \u200dits\u200c part, \u2064has even\u200c stricter standards: Local Law \u206297, \u2064passed in 2018,\u2062 requires most \u2062new buildings under seven\u2064 stories \u2064to\u2063 have\u200b all-electric \u200dappliances \u2064beginning \u2064in 2024, with\u2063 the requirement extending to most \u2062taller buildings \u2063beginning in \u200dthe year 2027.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200c city\u2064 has estimated that roughly 4,000 buildings \u200dcould fall short\u2064 of the standards under the \u200bemissions\u2063 rule\u2064 after \u200bit takes effect next year.<\/p>\n<p>And some state lawmakers, \u200deven Democrats, have taken issue with the timeline, noting their constituents&#8217; \u200dconcerns over potential\u2062 cost increases\u2064 and reliability fears.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u200d would prefer\u200d that we incentivize electric buildings,\u200b either through tax \u2063credits \u200dor other proposals, rather \u2064than \u2062forcing it as an issue because there\u2019s\u200d a lot of concern and angst \u200cin particular \u2063in western New York,\u201d New\u200b York Democratic Assemblywoman Monica Wallace\u2064 said earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t necessarily\u200b ban \u2064people from\u2063 pursuing\u200b other \u200coptions if that\u2019s\u200b what \u200cthey want,\u201d she \u200dadded.<\/p>\n<p>So far, \u200dbans on gas\u2063 stoves\u2063 and\u200c gas\u2063 furnaces have been passed\u2062 largely at the state \u200cand \u2062local level,\u2064 especially after \u200ba\u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-city-pushes-the-limits-of-green-policies\/\" title=\"NYC pushes green policies to the max.\">federal regulator ignited \u2064controversy \u200bearlier<\/a>\u2063 this year\u2062 when he suggested \u2064in an interview that gas stoves \u200cwould be\u2062 banned at the federal \u2063level \u2064on safety grounds.<\/p>\n<p>In response, lawmakers introduced the\u2062 Save \u200dOur Gas Stoves Act, a \u200dbill seeking to prohibit\u200b the Department \u2064of Energy \u200cfrom implementing \u200cany\u2062 gas\u2063 stove \u2062ban or restriction\u200c at \u200dthe federal level.<\/p>\n<h3>Pizza\u200d Ovens<\/h3>\n<p>Other changes could \u200daffect \u200dNew York\u200d City\u2019s world-famous pizza\u2063 scene.<\/p>\n<p>New rules drafted\u2062 by the New York City Department \u2063of \u200dEnvironmental \u200cProtection would require \u2064restaurants that \u200buse\u2064 coal-fired or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fuggedaboutit-new-york-city-considers-pizza-oven-ban\/\" title=\"NYC considers banning pizza ovens. Fuggedaboutit!\">wood-fired ovens<\/a> to slash \u200dtheir\u200d carbon emissions \u2063by \u200bup to 75% \u2014\u200b forcing many restaurant \u200downers \u200cto make pricey new renovations to \u2063their \u200ckitchens.<\/p>\n<p>According\u200d to\u2064 the\u200b text of the\u2064 draft\u2062 rule,\u2063 any \u200brestaurants in the city using coal-fired\u200d or wood-fired \u200covens installed before 2016 \u200dwould be\u2062 required\u200d to \u200dinstall \u2063a \u200bspecial filter \u2063to\u2062 slash the oven\u2019s emissions\u2064 by 75% and hire \u200can\u200b engineer\u2064 or architect\u2062 to \u2062attest that such a\u2063 filter indeed \u2062achieves the reduction of carbon emissions\u2062 and particulate \u200cmatter.<\/p>\n<p>While it\u2019s\u200d unclear\u2062 just how\u200d pricey \u2062the updates would be,\u200d one Brooklyn restaurant owner \u2062told\u200c the New York Post in June that he\u200c had already spent \u2064$20,000 on \u2063the\u200b filter in \u200banticipation of \u2063the city\u2019s rule.<\/p>\n<p>As many as 100 restaurants in the city could\u200b be\u2064 affected. \u200bEarlier \u2064this month, one conservative\u200c activist and artist protested the rule by throwing\u200d multiple pizzas\u200b at \u200bNew York City Hall, chanting, \u201cGive us \u2062pizza or give us death!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Others in\u2063 the city have praised the regulation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;All \u200bNew Yorkers\u200d deserve to breathe \u200dhealthy air\u2063 and \u200dwood\u200d and coal-fired\u2064 stoves\u200c are\u2062 among the \u2062largest \u200dcontributors of harmful pollutants in \u2064neighborhoods with poor air quality,&#8221; DEP\u2064 spokesman\u2064 Ted Timbers said \u200cin a statement last month. &#8220;This common-sense rule, \u2064developed with restaurant \u200band environmental justice groups, \u200crequires \u200ba professional review\u2064 of \u200cwhether <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nyc-climate-rules-would-crack-down-on-coal-wood-fired-pizzerias\/\" title=\"NYC Climate Rules Target Coal, Wood-Fired Pizzerias\">installing emission controls<\/a> is \u200bfeasible.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Broader\u2063 Climate \u200cEfforts<\/h2>\n<p>New York City\u2062 also became the\u200b first \u2064major U.S. city to \u2064divest \u200dits major pensions from fossil fuels \u2063as part of\u200c its goal \u2062of \u2062reaching net-zero emissions across \u2064its\u200d entire \u200bportfolio by \u20642040. City officials have said it plans to divest \u2062roughly $4\u200b billion worth\u2063 of fossil fuel \u200binvestments by that date.<\/p>\n<p>In May, \u200dthree major \u2062firms\u200b announced a lawsuit against the \u200bcity\u2019s decision, which also seeks to \u2062double their \u2062investments\u200b in\u2063 renewable energy and \u200denergy efficiency, according to city officials.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New York City&#8217;s controversial green policies aim to reduce emissions from buildings, kitchen appliances, and cars, pushing the boundaries of environmental experimentation. However, critics fear the high costs and burdens these new rules may impose on the city&#8217;s vast population. NYC is drafting regulations to significantly cut carbon emissions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1974880,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1974879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1974879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1974879"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1974879\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1974880"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1974879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1974879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1974879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}