New Rochelle High School junior Sofia Acosta recently met with New York State senators via Zoom to express her concerns about climate change.
Acosta is the president of the Green Club at New Rochelle High School. Participants organize environmental cleanups, discussions on environmental events, and other environment-related activities. Senators participating were Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Pete Harckham, Shelley Mayer, and Elijah Reichlin-Melnick.
“First, my school suffered catastrophic damage from Hurricane Ida, forcing us to start the school year remotely,” Acosta said. “Even today, we still don’t have a library. This is all a result of climate change which has caused extreme weather events.”
Acosta encouraged the state senators in the meeting to take action to prevent further climate change. “Not enough action has been taken by legislators, and we don’t really have time to waste,” she said. “New Rochelle High School’s Green Club is asking all senators in the Westchester delegation to co-sponsor NY State Senate Bill S6843A, also known as the 'All-Electric Building Act,' which would help reduce fossil-fuel use and environmental impact. The bill would ensure that no city, town, or village would issue a permit for new buildings that are not all-electric."
New York City passed similar legislation in December 2021. A vote on the statewide bill has not been scheduled. Lobbying efforts continue to secure passage of the legislation.