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New York has been the state that spawned the emergence of, and the leadership for, what has been successful bipartisan efforts to protect and conserve the environment and natural resources of not just the state but also the country.

Think Theodore Roosevelt, Bob Marshall, and the Rockefeller family. Think of the Adirondack and Catskill parks. Think of the state’s clean lakes and rivers, of a clean New York harbor, and of clean air.

Protecting New York’s environment did not come easily. It took the engagement of its citizens as well as accountable elected officials and civil servants. And it should be remembered that all of it was achieved while the economy thrived.

Now, however, we face a dispiriting fact. We are witnessing a New Yorker, Lee Zeldin, go to Washington to lead a rollback and gutting of the Republican-created Environmental Protection Agency. This is the institution that successfully managed the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Ocean Waters Protection Act, not to mention climate change, hazardous waste and Superfund laws.

This rollback makes no sense. It is an affront to the American people and their steadfast support of protecting health and the environment. Public health and a high-quality environment are necessary precedents to a healthy economy. Zeldin does not understand this essential need.

We need to ask Zeldin: does he prefer to live in a polluted environment or does he avoid it simply because he can afford to? Does he live in a place that is degraded and threatens his mental and physical health, or does he simply want and tolerate others to live in such conditions?

Zeldin should be shamed and should look to the history of his state. He needs to be implementing the nation’s laws to protect health and the environment. If he will not or cannot, he should do the honorable thing and resign.

The writer is a former commissioner for the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Published March 31, 2025

I am deeply concerned about the reckless dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and its devastating impact on both global stability and American interests.

My son has been stationed in Bangladesh, working for USAID. When he decided to take the job, he was so excited about the work he would be doing. His time there enabled his family to become familiar with the real vital mission USAID performed, not only for people around the world but also for the United States.

USAID has played a critical role in global health and security for decades. Now, because of this shutdown, more than 30 clinical trials for HIV and malaria have been suspended, malaria control efforts in Africa have collapsed, and a deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading unchecked.

The consequences of these disruptions are not just humanitarian; they directly threaten global health security and increase the risk of future pandemics.USAID prevents crises before they reach our doorstep, for less than 1% of the federal budget.

America has always been the helping hand, not only for people and countries in peril but also to secure our own country’s security in a perilous world. China and Russia will have no problem taking over that role and destroying our influence. Even small American businesses are shutting down due to these cuts, proving that this decision hurts not only people overseas but also jobs and innovation here at home.

We cannot let misinformation and political opportunism destroy an agency that has saved millions of lives and strengthened America’s global leadership. Congress must act now to restore USAID’s funding and protect both our humanitarian commitments and national security.

Published March 31, 2025

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