Since joining the Senate, I have proudly served on the Environment and Public Works Committee, where I have fought to clean up the air that New Yorkers breathe, protect the water they drink, and revitalize contaminated sites in their communities. I have also worked to protect the natural treasures that New Yorkers enjoy, from the waters of Long Island Sound to the Adirondack Mountains, to the Great Lakes. I strongly believe that it is our duty to be better stewards of our environment—for the sake of our own health and the natural legacy that we will pass along to future generations.

I have also worked to advance a balanced energy policy that will increase our energy independence, create jobs, and provide cleaner, more reliable energy. I support policies to diversify our energy supplies by investing in renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar, developing advanced energy technologies such as clean coal and hydrogen fuel cells, and promoting environmentally responsible recovery of oil and gas resources. We also need to take steps to use energy more efficiently, in our cars, homes, and offices. Taken together, these steps will help to reduce the high energy prices facing New Yorkers and the rest of the country and move us away from dependence on foreign energy sources.

Clean Air
While we have made major strides in reducing air pollution over the last three decades, much work remains to be done. Recent medical evidence strongly links air pollution to increased incidence of asthma attacks, heart attacks, cardiopulmonary disease, cancer, and premature death. MORE»

Environmental Health
We are exposed to literally thousands of chemicals in our daily lives. Scientific research has confirmed links between pollutants such as lead, mercury, PCBs and a wide range of health problems. But many of the links between chemical exposure and disease remain unexplored and poorly understood. MORE»

Climate Change
The scientific consensus on climate change is increasingly clear: unless we act to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, the planet will continue to warm over the next century, with widespread and potentially devastating effects. These potential effects include more frequent extreme weather events, and the wider spread of diseases such as West Nile, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and malaria. MORE»

Clean Water
New York is home to some of the most spectacular waterways in the nation, which provide endless recreational, environmental, tourism, and other economic opportunities. In the 109th Congress, I became the senior Democrat on the Fisheries, Wildlife and Water subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. As ranking member, I will continue to work to improve our efforts to protect New York’s water. MORE»

Cleaning Up Toxic Waste
In 1978, the tragic consequences of the dumping of toxic wastes burst onto the national consciousness with the discovery that residents of Love Canal, NY were being exposed to hazardous chemicals buried underneath their homes by the Hooker Chemical Company. MORE»

Protecting America’s Natural Heritage
Protecting America’s vast environmental treasures, such as our National Parks, National Forests, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, is a bipartisan tradition stretching back to Teddy Roosevelt. These special places are part of our natural – and our national – heritage. MORE»

Energy
I firmly believe that a strong, balanced national energy policy is a key to strong economic and environmental policies as well. We need a policy that promotes the use of energy efficient technologies and alternative and renewable sources and increases energy production without disturbing precious natural resources, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Our energy policy must also improve the reliability of our electricity transmission grid, protect the public's health from harmful air emissions, and create jobs. MORE»