For a city home to over 8.5 million people of all backgrounds, not to mention a municipal workforce adamant about defending their pension plans, fossil fuel divestment is a risky proposition to pursue.

Nevertheless, for New York City’s mayor, Bill de Blasio, the time to wean his city away from fossil fuels is now.

We understand that climate change is an existential threat, but we do not accept that it is inevitable. We know many of our national leaders are in denial, but we will not wait for their help.

The strategy on which de Blasio’s administration is embarking has two moving parts. First, the city is suing major oil companies for alleged damages linked to climate change. Whether this strategy will work is a dubious prospect. It could take years before either a legal decision or settlement are reached.

Far more practical is the Big Apple’s plan to spend $20 billion on a resiliency plan so that homes and businesses are buttressed against rising seas and more vicious storms in the near future.

Read the full article on fossil fuel divestment by Leon Kaye at TriplePundit