Voters across the state will have a question on their upcoming Nov. 8 ballot about whether the state should pass the Environmental Bond Measure. And we implore you to vote yes.
The Environmental Bond Measure would help unlock $4.2 billion for critical environmental spending by taking on debt, for issues including: at least $1.1 billion for flood risk and restoration, up to $1.5 billion for climate change mitigation, up to $650 million for land conservation and at least $650 million for water quality improvement.
It’s a hefty cost, but a necessary one.
According to a 2020 report from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, New York has the second highest debt burden behind California.
But the costs of doing nothing could reach a projected $10 billion per year (in 2010 dollars) by 2050, according to state reports.
We need to invest every dollar we can into fighting climate change.
It is an existential threat that requires long-term thinking and inaction will only make the situation worse.
With the surmounting costs of climate change, it would be better for the federal government to step in.
The Inflation Reduction Act brought some advancements in terms of federal dollars to help states battle climate change like tax credits for heat pumps and solar panels.
But due to the sniveling coward of a Senator Joe Manchin is, it was a compromise deal.
We have very few options with how to deal with this issue. Inaction cannot be one of them.
So while adding more debt can be concerning to voters, the bigger costs are too big to ignore or delay.
