NYC Just Took a Drastic Measure to 'Save the Environment'

Leah Barkoukis | December 16, 2021 8:00 AM

New York’s city council on Wednesday voted 40-7 to ban natural gas in newly constructed buildings in an effort to tackle climate change.

"This bill was about prioritizing people over profits and properties," Council member Alicka Ampry-Samuel said Wednesday afternoon. "We are at a point in our lifetimes that we need to act. We need to make sure we are protecting and saving our environment."

Moving away from natural gas means that stoves and heat pumps will be powered by electricity instead, cutting down on carbon emissions. Nearly 40% of carbon emissions in the country — and more than half of New York City's emissions — come from buildings.
The new ban […] applies to buildings that are seven stories or shorter by the end of 2023; buildings that are taller have an additional four years to comply. There are some exceptions in the bill, including hospitals, laundromats and crematoriums. (NPR)

While it’s the nation’s largest city to enact such a ban, it’s not the first. In 2020, San Jose took steps to remove natural gas from new construction as part of their “Paris-aligned greenhouse gas emission reduction plan adopted by City Council in 2018.” According to the San Francisco Chronicle, dozens of California cities have sought to do away with the use of natural gas in buildings as well. And in upstate New York, Ithaca has gone even farther, pushing to decarbonize all buildings by 2030.