Black and brown neighborhoods with aging infrastructure in schools, churches, and residential buildings could be at greater risk of footing the bill for energy costs if they’re not ‘at the table’ making future decisions on the rising impacts of climate change. 

At present, New York State’s climate goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent by 2030, have 70 percent renewable electricity by 2030, and rely on a zero-emission electricity system by 2040 have been somewhat delayed. That’s mostly because the state’s having issues getting offshore wind and onshore renewable projects started.

“We need to pay attention closely in this energy conversation,” said former U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, who previously chaired the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “We need to make sure this energy transition is affordable, or the bill will come due to the poor and the middle class.”

Prior to the pandemic, it was extensively documented that a third of households in the U.S. were struggling to pay their energy bills, forgoing food, medicine, and other necessities to make up for heating and cooling costs. Black and Latino households disproportionately paid more than their white counterparts for energy. According to a 2023 LendingTree analysis of census data, those numbers still hold true for most racial minorities. That survey also deduced that nearly half of households identifying as two or more races are most likely to say they had to reduce or skip basic expenses to pay their bills. At least 44 percent of Hispanic/Latino households couldn’t pay part or all of their energy bills; 38 percent of Black households reported the same.

Record-breaking temperatures in the summer, torrential levels of rain, and worsening weather patterns and natural disasters have only compounded the problem. For many, this makes clean and affordable energy a pressing civil rights issue from which more Black and brown voices should be heard.

Reverend Malcolm T. Byrd is the chief operating officer (COO) of the National Action Network (NAN) and senior pastor at Mother African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church in Harlem. On a NAN panel about clean energy held on April 11, Rev. Byrd said it costs a staggering $6,000 every ten days to heat the old church with fuel oil.

Founded in 1796 and chartered in 1799 by Black abolitionists, Byrd’s church is recognized as the oldest Black church in New York State. It was an anti-slavery religious institution that served as a hub on the Underground Railroad trail that helped enslaved Blacks find freedom in the North. Mother AME’s current structure, which sits on West 137th Street, is a Neo-Gothic-style cathedral completed in 1925 and landmarked in 1993.

“Have you considered the conversion costs to go from oil to gas?” asked Byrd. “Have you considered the fact that in order to remove these aging boilers and burners in these large historic African-American churches, you have to also deal with things such as asbestos and other things that you have to address before you can even get someone in to lay the new piping for the gas? So why should we care about it? Why should we care about clean energy and why should we devote our time and our effort to ensure that our homes, our religious spaces, and our community centers have clean energy? Because we are wasting a lot of money as a people.”

The panelists discussed how natural gas in combination with renewables can lower emissions, create job opportunities, and address energy disparities among Black, brown, and low-income Americans.

“It’s about clean energy. It’s about affordable energy,” Byrd said with emotion. “It’s about us being able as a people to keep the landmarks in our communities, to let future generations know, this church was paid for by a grandmother that fried chicken and fried fish and did what she had to do to give us this institution. And we are not going to sell it, we are not going to lose it, because we cannot afford the oil prices.”

Harlem’s state Senator Cordell Cleare has been championing the New York Home Energy Affordable Transition (NY Heat) Act or Bill S2016A, which aims to align utility regulation with state climate justice goals, reduce gas emissions, and repeal certain provisions of the public service law relating to gas service and sale. The bill passed in the Senate again this year, but was not included in the recently enacted state budget.

“Our communities have long been plagued with inequities and unhealthy conditions due to the environment,” Cleare said. “This is a new area, a blossoming industry. And anytime there’s an opportunity for economic gains in our community—in terms of workforce and businesses—yes, we got to get in the door.”

Renewable Heat Now, an environmentalist coalition, was also pretty disappointed that the NY Heat Act was “blocked” in the state budget this year. “Despite support from Governor Hochul, the State Senate, and 76 Assembly co-sponsors…the Assembly leadership sided with fracking companies like National Fuel Gas, who have given thousands of dollars to lawmakers with one hand while funding a massive misinformation campaign of climate denial with the other,” said the coalition in a statement.

Renewable Heat Now maintained that the NY HEAT Act would help limit utility bills to 6% of household income and save energy-burdened households an average of $136 a month.

Cleare said there’s still an opportunity until June for the NY Heat Act to pass as a law in the Assembly and be signed by the Governor later on.

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.

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Ryan Garcia didn’t appear to be in a balanced mental and physical state on heading into his fight with Devin Haney at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn this past Saturday night. His actions—casually dismissing the previously undefeated Haney as an inferior opponent, posting controversial written and video social media messages, and boasting about staying out until after midnight drinking alcohol during his training camp—led many to conclude that the 25-year-old native of Victorville, Calif., who is of Mexican descent, was self-sabotaging his chances to dethrone Haney as the WBC super lightweight world champion. 

When Garcia missed the 140-pound weight limit the day before the fight by 3.2 pounds, the opportunity to take Haney’s title was contractually waived. The number on the scale also caused Garcia  to pay the champ $1.5 million, honoring an agreement he made at a press conference early last week that he would hand over $500,000 for every pound he was overweight.  

It seemed that Haney, also 25, who was born in San Francisco and raised in Oakland until moving to Las Vegas at age 14 to live with his father and trainer, Bill Haney, would further cement his status as one of the sport’s best with a victory over Garcia. Instead, the boxing world was stunned when Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) dropped Haney
(31-1, 15 KOs) three times in the 12-round bout on his way to a majority 115-109, 114-110, 112-112 decision.
Haney, who hadn’t been knocked down in his previous 31 fights, was repeatedly rocked by Garcia’s powerful left hook, wobbled in the first round, and got floored  in the seventh. He hit the canvas again in the 10th and 11th rounds from crushing blows as Garcia pressured him around the ring.
Bill Haney offered perhaps the best explanation after the fight: “He got hit with a shot early and I don’t think that he naturally kind of recovered,” he said. 

“He got wobbled bad. I’m surprised he has such [a] good heart and recovery,” Garcia said in response to a question from the Amsterdam News. “I cracked him in that first round. I thought it was over. I thought, ‘I won, easy work.’ And then he came out firing in the second, even hurt me with a hook. I was like, ‘Damn, maybe you do got a little power.’” 

Haney, who retained his title due to Garcia failing to make weight, reflected on the defeat with both pride and unrealized expectations. “I’m disappointed about my performance,” he said. “But I showed I’m a true champion and I can fight after being knocked down and hurt.”

He later posted on one of his social media accounts: “Alhamdulillah Allah is the perfect planner he makes no mistakes…fought like a true champion. Got up off the canvas & kept fighting. I am 100% ok & would love to do it again while we both make weight.” 

Garcia is agreeable to another meeting as well. “Yes, let’s run it back,” he said before leaving the ring.

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LOS ANGELES – While New York loves to highlight its biggest and flashiest stars, Tyrone Taylor and DJ Stewart, relative unknowns, have been unsung heroes for the Mets, which were 12-11 and had won eight of their previous 12 games before facing the San Francisco Giants on the road yesterday afternoon.

The game ended a six-game West Coast road trip for the Mets. They went 2-1 versus the Los Angeles Dodgers and looked to take the series finale against the Giants after dropping the first two of their three-game series. Outfielders Taylor and Stewart have been key to the Mets’ turnaround after they began the season 0-5. Taylor is in his first season with the team and Stewart his second.  

The 30-year-old Taylor was drafted by the Brewers in the second round of the 2012 MLB draft out of Torrance High School in Southern California. He made his MLB debut for them in 2019 and remained with the organization until the 2023 season before being traded to the Mets last December. During his time in Milwaukee, he had a slashline of .239/.294/.451.

While Taylor has not been an everyday starter for the team and is more of a utility man, he is certainly making the most of his chances when given the opportunity. As of yesterday, he’s only played two complete games in his last 10 big league appearances, but in that stretch, Taylor is batting .421, with one homer, seven RBI, two runs scored, and an OPS of .979.

Prior to the Mets meeting the Giants yesterday, in 17 games played and 44 at-bats, Taylor was batting .318, had an on-base percentage of .354 and an OPS of .786 with one homerun and 10 RBI.

While DJ Stewart’s batting average was lagging under .200 (.190), he had three homers, 11 RBI and an OPS of .816. The 30-year-old played high school ball in Jacksonville, Florida, and then spent two years playing college baseball for Florida State. He was drafted by the Orioles with the 25th overall pick in 2015 and made his debut with the team in 2018. His final season in Baltimore was in 2022, where he slashed .213/.327/.400.

Stewart signed a minor league contract with the Mets in February of 2023 and was added to their major league roster on July 4. In 58 games, he had 11 home runs, 26 RBI and batted of .244 His play earned him a one-year deal for 2024.

With Taylor and Stewart making unheralded but important contributions, the Mets have fought their way above .500. Although they made the playoffs in 2022, New York finished well below expectations last season, going 75-87 and missing the postseason. Last year proved they will need more than stars to be competitive. Taylor and Stewart are role players that can help them be in the mix for a playoff spot this season.

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After hearing her name called in last week’s WNBA Draft, Kaitlyn Davis saw her world move very fast. Picked in the third round by the New York Liberty, Davis is headed to Mexico to begin her professional career instead of preparing for training camp. The plan is for her to get exposure to pro basketball, gain skills, and then come to New York in early 2025 to begin working with the Liberty’s staff.

Davis, who played at the University of Southern California this year as a graduate student, earned her bachelor’s degree at Columbia University, playing three seasons (the Ivy League sat out the 2020-21 season) and earning First-Team All Ivy honors senior year. She and best friend, Abbey Hsu, who is graduating this spring, are the first-ever WNBA Draft picks from Columbia.

“It was a crazy moment that I’m super-grateful for,” said Davis, who watched the draft with friends. “My next journey is quickly upon me.”

She said “I told you so” to people who don’t hold ballers from the Ivy League in high regard. “I knew we were hoopers,” Davis said. “For me, as a player that’s coming from the Ivy League, it’s definitely encouraging and validating to see the respect that we’ve gotten this year.”

Davis will finish her master’s degree in entrepreneurship and innovation remotely. An early goal for pro hoops is to become more confident with her shot. Having adjusted extremely well in her transition from Columbia to USC, she is used to adapting to a new team. “I’m obviously putting an emphasis on being shot-ready,” Davis said.

Growing up in Connecticut, Davis went to both Liberty and Connecticut Sun games as well as those of the University of Connecticut. She named Breanna Stewart as a player who has had an impact on her. “I hope to be able to play with her,” she said.

Davis also offered words of admiration for both her coach at Columbia, Megan Griffith, and her coach at USC this past season, Lindsay Gottlieb. 

Gottlieb has given her players a spotlight, including some who might not be obvious to attract it. She is also willing to help her players be pro ready and have opportunities. 

Griffith taught her how to consistently work toward a long-term goal despite possible setbacks.

“Coach G has been transformational in my life,” Davis said of Griffith. “It was a lot of life skills we were taught at Columbia. On the court, she’s a phenomenal coach.”

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