DeBlasio Tries to Justify Trips in SUV, After Mulling His Own Green New Deal

Show hosts ended up pressing Mr. de Blasio on why he travels daily from the official Mayor’s residence on the Upper East Side of Manhattan to Brooklyn, just to work out at a gym.

“What sort of environmentally responsible example are you setting there, taking this drive in a car as opposed to going to someplace nearby?” Jonathan Lemire, an MSNBC analyst, asked Mayor de Blasio. “Let’s make clear, this is just a part of my life,” he responded, referring to the daily 11-mile trek.

“I come from that neighborhood in Brooklyn. That’s my home. I go there on a regular basis to stay connected to where I come from and not be in a bubble that I think for a lot of politicians is a huge problem,” he continued.

Mr. de Blasio’s aims to fully implement his proposal within five years, and will fine property owners who do not decrease emissions at least 30 percent by 2030. He also told MSNBC personalities that he thinks the outbreak of Measles in Brooklyn will come to an end “over the next few weeks.”

As part of another proposal, as reported already by The Jewish Voice, New York’s city council is aiming to cut emissions at buildings like Trump Tower — an iconic landmark which served as President Trump’s home for decades before his historic election on Nov. 8, 2016.

The legislation, called the Climate Mobilization Act, seeks to make medium and large-sized buildings to reduce emissions by at least 40 percent by the year 2030 and by 80 percent by 2050.

Another aspect of the proposed piece of legislation would require that buildings not release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at levels above what is set forth in the Climate Mobilization Act.

A report released by a labor coalition said that Trump Tower utilizes more energy than 93 percent of large-sized buildings.

“With so many people and cars in NYC, it can be hard to believe that our buildings are the number one contributor of harmful emissions,” Andrew Cohen, a member of New York’s city council, said in a statement. “Bill 1251 is part of a package of bills that will create an energy efficiency grading system for buildings throughout the city. Hopefully, this will encourage building owners to make the necessary upgrades to reduce the amount of negative impacts that these large buildings are having on our environment.”