Issue Position: Environmental Justice
Issue Position
A Green New Deal for Our Neighborhood
Every community is entitled to a healthy environment, but Black and brown communities experience disproportionate amounts of air pollution. Dirty factories and power plants, bus depots, airports, private garbage companies and trash transfer plants are more often located in our neighborhoods, where enforcement of environmental laws are typically weak. This is environmental racism.
We demand environmental justice: strong environmental protections for all citizens in our community. We need a Green New Deal for Southeast Queens. We will lead on organizing a land assessment of the community that will help us to evaluate the prosperous resources in our backyard. We need to work to reduce airplane noise and carbon emissions in Assembly District 31.
Our campaign is dedicated to fighting so that funding is provided to NYCHA to help them rebuild, and rebuild green - we need to make sure that we strike a balance between public housing and landlords every step of the way, protecting tenants and holding landlords accountable.
As a frontline, coastal community, we need a Green New Deal to:
Protect us from storm surges by building sea walls and restoring the marshes in Jamaica Bay
Prevent the Rockaways from going underwater permanently, as a result of climate change-induced sea level rising by:
Rapidly transitioning from fossil fuels to green energy, such as wind and solar power,
Retrofitting our buildings to be energy efficient, starting with big public structures such as NYCHA, and
Making public transportation faster, more frequent, and more reliable so we can get where we need to go, without cars.
We also need:
Air-quality testing and improvement near JFK Airport
Mold-free public housing
Clean, drinkable water in our homes and schools
Lead paint-free schools
Parks, playgrounds and beaches that are well-maintained and accessible, and an end to dumping in Jamaica Bay
More community gardens and food cooperatives that provide healthy foods
Holding accountable private garbage truck companies that drive through our neighborhoods with foul odors
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