Candidates Niou, Rivera, Simon at Tuesday's forum (photo: The Cooper Union/Marget Long)

Several Democratic candidates running to represent New York’s new 10th congressional district answered questions related to climate and sustainability challenges facing the district and New York City during a forum held at The Great Hall in Cooper Union Tuesday evening. Such issues are especially relevant in the district given that much of it is along the waterfront, whether its Manhattan or Brooklyn side.

The panel, hosted by the New York League of

The new Brooklyn Bright bike lane (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

The administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio is putting the final touches on its efforts to combat climate change and create a more sustainable city, with significant short- and long-term challenges at play, major decisions to be made in the mayor’s final months in office, and questions about its policy choices.

Ben Furnas, the director of the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Sustainability, points to key accomplishments of the last several

Mayor de Blasio surveys damage from Ida (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

When the long tail of Hurricane Ida brought record rainfall to our region earlier this month, public officials claimed they were blindsided by the damage that resulted. While it’s notoriously difficult to accurately predict rainfall, the devastating societal impacts of the storm were not a surprise to those who follow these issues closely.

An inundated transit system, flooded homes in lower-income neighborhoods, residents trapped in basement apartments.

New York City (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

September 24, 2021 - Max Politics Podcast: New York City's Climate and Sustainability Efforts

Ben Furnas, the director of the mayor's office of climate and sustainability, joined the show to discuss the de Blasio administration's policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a more sustainable, livable city.

Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter @TweetBenMax. You

Council Member Constantinides (photo: Jeff Reed/City Council)

At a recent hearing of the City Council Committee on Environmental Protection, the de Blasio administration expressed its opposition to a bill that would establish a New York City Department of Sustainability and Climate Change.

The bill, Intro. 1399, was introduced in February by Council Member Costa Constantinides, a Queens Democrat and chair of the environmental protection committee.

It would make New York City among the first in the nation to implement a municipal-level