Governor Kathy Hochul has begun working on a $1 Billion Investment plan to combat climate change that will involve a lot of construction to make New York more climate friendly, but many climate change activists see what she is doing differently. This $1 Billion Investment Plan makes one wonder what people think about it and how they think it might affect their lives?
Governor Hochul’s ambitious proposal will generate thousands of jobs, slash energy bills for households, and cut harmful pollution. From what information that can be found on the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, or NYSERDA website, about Governor Hochul’s Investment Plan, she plans on retrofitting homes and incentivizing the installation of heat pumps, expanding green transportation options across the state and supporting businesses of all sizes in their decarbonization journey, and ensuring our public infrastructure can serve as hubs of sustainability, including building out thermal energy networks at SUNY campuses that can model a pathway towards the next generation of energy infrastructure. She plans on directing state agencies and the New York Power Authority into entering contracts in the pursuit of achieving 100 percent renewable energy for state agencies by 2030. Overall, all these plans will create thousands of jobs for people to apply to, while also reducing carbon emissions and prompting clean energy development.
Now while Governor Hochul’s Investment Plan sounds like a great approach to combating climate change, many climate advocates have very different opinions on the matter . Governor Hochul has never been well aligned with climate change and organizations like the Third Act, a dedicated group of organizers, campaign strategists, and communications professionals working together to build a powerful elder-led movement for climate action and democracy protection, have gone so far as to give her a “D-” when it comes to actions to combat change. John Raskin, president of the Spring Street Climate Fund states, “She’s on very thin ice with anybody who cares about combating climate change and protecting people from high and volatile gas prices.”
This recent anger towards Hochul can be found from her actions to delay the “cap and invest” program, a cap-and-trade style policy that would use the revenues from increased prices for gas and heating fuels and invest it in clean energy programs and cushion the upfront increase in costs for consumers.
This differences in opinions also applies to the students of BASE with Elijah Sampson, 11th grade student of BASE, saying that “It might do something, but I don’t think it will be enough for a very big impact with seeing how much carbon emissions is in the atmosphere and I really dont think it makes that much of a difference,” while Trinity Dipre, 11th grade student of BASE, also saying “I think it will be helpful for the environment.”
This feud between Governor Hochul and climate advocates doesn’t really affect most of the lives of the students of BASE, but the future that Hochul’s $1 Billion Investment plan will bring does. When asking students if they think all the construction caused by the Investment Plan might affect their ability to get to school or back home, there was a mix of different responses. Elijah Sampson, 11th grade student of BASE, says “No, not really. I mostly take the subway and then I just walk to school or back home, so it’s really not going to stop me from getting to school,” while Trinity Dipre, 11th grade student of BASE, says “Yes, because of all the traffic and the delays of trains that the construction will cause.”
Another part of Governor Hochul’s $1 Billion Investment In Climate Action that might affect the lives of students at BASE and New Yorkers is her “Advanced Nuclear Master Plan,” which advocates for the creation of advanced nuclear energy technologies for New York State and supports the addition of one or more new advanced nuclear reactors at its Nine Mile Point site in Oswego County. When asking BASE students about their opinions, their answers were on the skeptical, but supportive side with Massai Stanislaus, 11th grade student of BASE saying “I don’t really have an input on that, but if it’s for good, then it might be a good idea”, and Trinity Dipre, 11th grade student of BASE, saying “I think it will be very helpful to just give it a shot.”
In the end, only time will tell whether or not Governor Hochul’s big investment in climate change will actually reel in results or become one of the biggest waste of money the world has ever seen, but hopefully with the amount of money and serious commitment it will bring some serious change.
