NYC Council passes major climate act

EcoWatch -The New York City Council passed the world's "largest single carbon reduction effort that any city, anywhere, has ever put forward" on Thursday afternoon, marking a major milestone in the fight against the climate crisis.

The Climate Mobilization Act contains 10 provisions for a greener New York.

The legislation packages together 10 separate bills and resolutions, and calls in its centerpiece bill for a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from city buildings. Opponents of the legislation claimed it could have an adverse affect on the city's economy and lead to a drying up of jobs.

But, as HuffPost reported, that doom and gloom future is unlikely:

The new rules would create demand for more than 3,600 construction jobs per year, by one estimate, and another 4,400 jobs in maintenance, services and operations, fueled by the sheer magnitude of the investment required to meet the emissions goals.

According to The New York Times, buildings account for 67 percent of the city's emissions.