Nadine Hoffmann, VID President, submitted this letter to the Villager on Jan. 8th, supporting VID’s stance on Climate Justice
Climate justice, now!
To The Editor:
At its last general meeting, the Village Independent Democrats unanimously passed a resolution on Government Action Against Climate Change. To those who know V.I.D.’s history and commitment to progressive causes, this will be no surprise.
V.I.D. has been in the forefront in the fight to protect our environment. Our early support of Zephyr Teachout and Timothy Wu in the recent Democratic primary was critical to their success and likely influenced Governor Cuomo’s decision to ban fracking.
V.I.D. has also been a leader in the fight against the Spectra pipeline, whose development unfortunately now allows high-pressure fracked gas to pass very near a playground on the West Village waterfront.
Climate change poses a grave and imminent danger to our community. Greenwich Village is vulnerable to the dangers posed by rising sea levels. Indeed, many New York City residents — especially those residing in Manhattan — live in areas that have been designated as flood zones. Rising sea levels and increasingly volatile weather caused by climate change threaten the infrastructure of our city and could severely damage our economy.
Climate change could even render the city unlivable in the foreseeable future. And the same is true for coastal areas throughout the United States and the rest of the world.
With our resolution, New York City’s oldest and most progressive political club calls for immediate government action to address the issue of climate change. We urge our fellow Villagers to join our call to protect future generations of New Yorkers.
Nadine Hoffmann