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Celebrating the Leaders Behind Climate Progress
EANY’s 2026 Advocate Awards honored former Washington Governor Jay Inslee and celebrated the people powering New York’s environmental movement.
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This week, Environmental Advocates NY brought together advocates, partners, and supporters in New York City for our 2026 Advocate Awards, an evening celebrating the people and leadership driving environmental progress.
This year, we were proud to honor Jay Inslee, three-term former governor of Washington and co-founder of the U.S. Climate Alliance, for his leadership on climate action. The evening was also an opportunity to reflect on the work we’ve done together this year to defend New York’s climate law against fierce attacks, protect clean water, and advance policies that support healthy communities. We’re grateful to everyone who joined us — and to everyone who supports our mission throughout the year!
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New York City’s Extreme Heat Crisis
A yearlong investigation reveals who is most vulnerable to extreme heat — and who is being left without the help they need.
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Extreme heat is becoming one of New York City’s most dangerous climate threats, and new reporting from The Margin shows that the burden is not felt equally. Last summer, Black New Yorkers died from heat stress at three times the rate of white New Yorkers, while Latino New Yorkers died at twice the rate. The investigation also found that nearly one in five applications for city cooling assistance in 2024 and 2025 were denied because applicants lacked required documentation.
As New York gets hotter, access to cooling is a public health and environmental justice issue. The state and city need to make sure cooling assistance reaches the communities facing the greatest risks, while investing in the long-term solutions needed to protect New Yorkers from increasingly dangerous heat.
And not only do we need cooling access, we need good data to truly understand the scope of the problem. EANY supports a bill to track heat-related deaths and impacts, and it's on the Governor's desk. We need your help asking her to sign it into law. Please, email Governor Hochul today.
>> Tell Governor Hochul: Sign the Extreme Heat Tracking Bill >>
As former NYC Comptroller Brad Lander said: “Extreme heat will almost certainly be the deadliest form of climate disaster we have, but often passes unnoticed … and the city is not doing anywhere near enough to get ready for it.”
Read the full investigation >>
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Long Islanders Put Clean Drinking Water First
New Newsday/Siena polling finds clean drinking water is Long Island’s top environmental concern, across party lines.
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A new Newsday/Siena poll finds that 37% of Long Islanders rank contaminated drinking water as the greatest environmental risk facing the region over the next decade, ahead of coastal flooding, severe storms, bay pollution, and tick infestations. Clean water is a concern that crosses party lines. It ranked as the top environmental worry among Democrats (32%), Republicans (41%), and independents (39%), underscoring how deeply this issue resonates across Long Island.
EANY’s Senior Director of Clean Water, Rob Hayes: “By insulating our state from the federal government's reckless rollbacks, the governor can ensure Long Islanders don't face prolonged toxic exposure when they turn on the tap. Long Islanders understand that clean drinking water isn't a luxury, it's a necessity.”
Read the poll results in Newsday >>
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Who’s Behind the Push to Weaken NYC’s Climate Law?
New York Focus investigates real estate industry ties behind a campaign to roll back Local Law 97.
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A new investigation from New York Focus is raising questions about who’s really behind the push to weaken New York City’s landmark building emissions law, Local Law 97. The story examines Co-ops and Condos United, a group fighting the law that describes itself as a grassroots voice for the city’s more than one million co-op and condo residents.
But the investigation found deeper ties to the real estate industry. Co-ops and Condos United is a rebranding of Homeowners for a Stronger New York, which previously received more than $750,000 in funding from a lobbying group run by the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). Two leaders of Co-ops and Condos United also serve on REBNY’s residential management council. The group is now backing City Council legislation that would increase the amount of greenhouse gas emissions allowed from many co-ops and condos, as well as a separate bill that would delay Local Law 97 by seven years.
Buildings are one of the largest sources of the city’s climate pollution, and LL97 is having an impact: as of April, 93% of buildings covered were in compliance, and the law had raised more than $1.4 million to pay for decarbonization of affordable housing.
Read the full New York Focus investigation >>
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New Report Shows the Work Ahead to Replace Lead Pipes
New York has made progress identifying lead pipes, but hundreds of thousands of service lines still haven’t been checked.
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A new report from the Rockefeller Institute of Government finds that New York has made progress identifying lead service lines, but significant gaps remain in the effort to get lead out of drinking water. The number of water systems missing from the state’s inventory fell from 243 in July 2025 to 52 in July 2026. But the status of more than 800,000 service lines remains unknown, leaving communities without a clear picture of which pipes may need replacement.
Lead pipes can leach lead into drinking water as they corrode, posing serious health risks, particularly for children. New York needs to complete its baseline inventory soon, but identifying the problem is only the first step. The state also needs the resources and commitment to replace lead pipes and protect families from exposure.
Every New Yorker deserves safe drinking water, regardless of where they live or what they can afford. New York must turn progress on identifying lead pipes into a plan to replace them and ensure that no family is left to shoulder the cost of protecting their health.
Read the Rockefeller Institute’s report >>
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Want to Make Change in Albany?
EANY is hiring two Spring 2027 interns for hands-on experience in environmental policy and advocacy.
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Looking to turn your passion for the environment into real-world policy experience? Applications are now open for EANY’s Helen Chapman Internship, a paid position based in Albany.
From January through May 2027, interns will work alongside EANY’s statehouse policy team during the New York State legislative session, gaining firsthand experience with the legislative and state budget processes, advocacy campaigns, coalition building, and lobbying. Interns will review legislation, research and draft policy materials, participate in lobby visits and coalition meetings, and work across EANY’s climate, water, agriculture and land use, and healthy communities programs.
Learn more and apply by Monday, October 19 >>
Know someone right for the role? Forward them this email!
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Join the Fight for a Cleaner, Healthier Future
Your generous support has been crucial in advancing New York’s environmental priorities. But we need your help to keep up the fight, especially in these times. By donating to Environmental Advocates NY, you’ll bolster our efforts to lead on the issues that matter most to all New Yorkers — clean air, safe water, and a sustainable future. Please give today, and power our work for a healthier state.
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