Growing up in the suburbs of NYC, Sabrina enjoyed a mud-covered childhood of forest fairies and cicada exoskeleton curiosity, while equally enjoying reading, writing, and watching movies. She was always sensitive to art and wanted to pursue a career that evokes the same feelings that art gave her. Then, after exposure to environmental ethics in college and the political turmoil of the mid 2010s, she realized she wanted not only to evoke those emotions, but also empower people to do something with them. Once Sabrina understood the magnitude of the climate crisis, she knew she wanted to use her skills …

by Jay Wu Passing bills isn’t the only way to influence state priorities. Every year, New York State passes a budget that establishes what government activities will be funded, and where that money will come from. Substantive policy proposals are often included in the annual budget as a way to circumvent the more deliberative legislative process. The formal cycle begins with the governor-appointed Budget Director issues a “call letter” to agency heads to communicate priorities and constraints. Throughout the fall, each agency assemble and discuss their program package. By early December, they complete their preliminary recommendations and present them to …

by Jay Wu For the uninitiated, New York State’s processes can be hard to follow. However, state policies can have substantial consequences for climate action. With candidates already beginning to announce plans to run for 2022 State Assembly and Senate seats, let’s take a quick dive at how the New York State legislature works. New York has a bicameral legislature, meaning that it is split into two houses—the Assembly and Senate. Today the Assembly has 150 members and the Senate has 63, but these numbers will likely change after this year’s redistricting process. Each house has a leader, titled the …

By Jay Wu Developing countries suffering the brunt of COVID-19’s economic impact have scant resources to confront climate change. We must call on the IMF and World Bank to provide Debt Relief for a Just and Green Recovery. The pandemic ravaged low-income nations’ economies, erasing the equivalent of 255 million full-time jobs in 2020 and setting back economic growth by 4.9% compared to pre-pandemic projections. For populations that won’t achieve meaningful vaccine access until 2023, waves of COVID strains will continue to stymie economic activity, exacerbating the already high levels of debt service. In 2021, average debt is expected to …