The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act was the largest climate policy legislation ever enacted by the US. While it is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly, we will still fall short of our goal to reduce emissions by 50-52% by 2030 from 2005 levels. We can still hit that goal – but we need to build on the momentum of the IRA by electing pro-climate representatives and passing pro-climate legislation!

At our September Chapter Meeting we will feature two speakers who are working hard in these directions. This meeting couldn’t come at a better time as the general elections are just 5 weeks after our Chapter meeting!

Nathaniel Stinnett is the Executive Director of the Environmental Voter Project and he will be explaining how critical New York is in the 2022 elections. Due to the recent court mandated redistricting, we have the most competitive US House races of any state! He will also address how we can help in the last weeks leading up to the election.

Jessica Ottney Mahar is The Nature Conservancy’s New York Policy and Strategy Director. Jessica will be explaining the importance of New York’s $4.2Bn Environmental Bond Act which is on the ballot in November. She will also discuss how you can get involved in ensuring its passage. It is critical for us to advocate for this Act as many New Yorkers are unaware of it and often don’t turn over their ballots to vote on initiatives.