These bills are all popular environmental bills that passed the New York Senate, but for one reason or another didn’t pass in the Assembly. The legislature should pass the bills right at the top of the session.
And you can help! Learn about the bills from leaders in some of New York’s top environmental organizations and then take action using the Climate Action Now App to ensure the bills move through the legislature early in the session.
About Our Featured Guests
Caitlin Ferrante, Conservation & Development Program Manager for the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, has been working on policy issues in NYS since 2010. She joined the NY Chapter of the Sierra Club after realizing that she wanted to address environmental issues and was drawn to the grassroots structure of the Sierra Club. Caitlin has advocated on a myriad of issues including the NYS fracking ban, working to get toxic chemicals out of everyday consumer products, banning the use of toxic neonic pesticides, a plastics reduction policy, and much more. Caitlin serves on the advisory board of the NYS Pollution Prevention Institute and also serves on the Town of Guilderland's Conservation Advisory Council as well as Guilderland's Comprehensive Update Plan Committee.
Briana Carbajal is the State Legislative Manager at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. They are responsible for working directly with State legislators and agencies to build programs and policies that advance environmental justice for the Northern Manhattan community and other environmental justice communities across New York. Prior to joining WE ACT, Briana worked for Friends of the Earth in Washington, D.C. to keep false climate mitigation solutions out of federal policy priorities. All of their previous work experience centers around advancing racial equity in the name of social justice.
Jeremy Cherson is Senior Manager of Government Affairs at Riverkeeper. He earned his MS in Environmental Policy at the Bard Center for Environmental Policy in Annandale-on-Hudson in New York’s Hudson Valley. Jeremy started his career as an undergraduate at American University in Washington, D.C., organizing support for the McCain-Lieberman climate bill for Environment America in 2007. He has since been an AmeriCorps member in central California, monitored conservation easements in Alabama and Georgia, and served as the camp supervisor at an environmental summer camp in Atlanta. Jeremy now serves as the Senior Manager of Government Affairs working to advance Riverkeeper’s priorities in Albany and Washington, DC.
Alisha Deen-Steindler is a Policy Analyst at The Nature Conservancy in New York. Alisha has legislative and policy experience in Philadelphia, California, South Florida and Detroit. Her work includes water policy, land use planning, air quality and environmental justice in both small rural and urban communities. She has worked in government relations for several non-profit organizations and a federal task force for ecosystem restoration. Alisha earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Florida International University, and a M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon.
Sophia Longsworth is the Campaign Manager for Clean+Healthy who proudly hails from the island of Grenada (Gree-nay-da) in the West Indies. She works on toxics policies including PFAS and lead, organizes advocacy days with our allies, including the annual Earth Day Advocacy Day, and provides support to NYS legislators championing our legislative priorities. Sophia co-leads the national Cumulative Impacts and Mandatory Emissions Reductions team at Coming Clean, and is active in the PFAS workgroups for Safer States. She is also an Adjunct Lecturer of Environmental Science at Hostos Community College.
Andrew WIlliams is Deputy State Policy Director with the New York League of Conservation Voters. Andrew works with the League’s members, staff, and partners to advance policies and legislation that protect New York’s environment and health. Previously, Andrew worked in the labor movement for the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters as their New York State Political Coordinator, and before that, as a legislative staffer in the New York State Assembly. Andrew has a B.A. in Politics Science from SUNY Plattsburgh.
About Our Moderators
Tim Guinee, President of Climate Action Now, has been a veteran in numerous climate campaigns around the country, most notably as the Legislative Coordinator for the New York Climate Reality Chapters Coalition. Former Vice President Al Gore awarded Tim the Alfredo Sirkis Memorial Green Ring Award for his work on the climate crisis.