Dear Friend,

As this Earth Week comes to a close, I keep thinking about Raffi.

No, I’m serious! Growing up, I remember listening to Raffi sing about the “big beautiful planet in the sky; it’s my home, it’s where I live.” Do you remember that song?

I’m thinking about Raffi because just as I listened to him when I was a child, I now play his music for my own children. And that song, which is a beautiful ode to our planet, is a stark reminder of what we risk losing if we continue to fall short in responding to the climate crisis we’ve created.

I’m committed to doing everything I can to help us combat climate change and prepare our communities - and our children - for the future world they will inherit.

This year in Albany, I’m working on three specific climate-centric bills that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,educate our youth on the impacts of climate change, and promote equity within clean energy.

My Transportation Equity Act would completely shift the paradigm of measuring the effectiveness of transit infrastructure projects. Intending to reduce the annual total of vehicle miles traveled within New York by 20% by 2050, this bill will eliminate an estimated 227 million metric tons of carbon emissions, provide average annual household savings of $3,750, and avoid 4,940 deaths per year.

The Climate Change Education Act would establish a required climate change curriculum for science, social studies, history, and health classes in New York public elementary and secondary schools. We must prepare our future leaders with the information necessary to address climate change before it’s too late.

And my Climate Action Council Act would ensure that disadvantaged communities are included in the transition to a clean energy future. This bill would require a public engagement process to guarantee that at least 35% of the benefits of spending on clean energy andi energy efficiency programs go to those communities most impacted by environmental injustices. It’s not enough to protect the environment— we must protect those in our community who are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Our response to the climate crisis is not just legislative - it’s on the ground action, too. Did you know that our district is slated to play a leading role in anchoring nearly 25% of the state’s offshore wind power generation goals? That’s clean energy to power millions of homes, support thousands of new jobs, and make crucial investments for communities that are on the front lines of climate change’s worst effects.

I’m deeply committed to ensuring New York meets its climate and equity goals. If you agree we need urgent action on climate - or even if you’re just a Raffi fan like me! - >> can you help support my campaign so I can continue to fight for the climate future we need?

In solidarity,