By Nathan Duke
The league, a nonpartisan organization that supports elected officials who prioritize environmental protection, rated state leaders based on how they voted on environmental measures, such as global warming and fuel efficiency, said Marcia Bystryn, the league's executive director.”Electing pro-environment candidates is a critical first step toward enacting sound environmental policies that will protect our planet and our future,” Bystryn said.U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) scored a 73 percent average on the scorecard, while U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) received a 93 percent score, Bystryn said. The national average for U.S. senators was 52 percent, while the national average for U.S. House representatives was 53 percent, she said.Seven members of the U.S. House who represent Queens scored well above the national average. U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) scored a perfect 100 percent average, while Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) scored 95 percent, Bystryn said.”I'm proud to have gotten a 100 percent rating,” Maloney said. “New Yorkers may live in one of the most urban places in the country, but we share our fellow Americans' desire to leave a clean, healthy world for future generations.”U.S. Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica), Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) and Charles Rangel (D-Astoria) all scored 90 percent on the scorecard, while U.S. Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside) and Nydia Velazquez (D-Ridgewood) both scored 85 percent, Bystryn said.The scorecard graded elected officials on how they voted on a number of environmental legislation, including the Energy Independence and Security Act, which raises the overall fuel economy of cars and light trucks to reduce global warming pollution; a resolution calling for mandatory limits on global warming pollution; and increases in funding for national parks, wildlife refuges, land acquisition and water quality protection, Bystryn said.Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
