While in office, Michael Bloomberg, New York’s mayor, has propelled his city toward environmental preservation and innovation. These common-sense concepts are transforming city laws ordinances into effective environmental strategies.

Bloomberg has implemented several policies to make New York greener, including: transforming New York’s land into parks and schoolyards for environmental and recreation benefits; supporting green buildings and housing options; adding millions of trees throughout the city to improve air quality; and now, enacting a law that nearly makes it illegal for businesses to waste air conditioning, and thus electricity and energy.

Businesses across the city will no longer be able to open doors and windows with air conditioning cranked all the way up. Remember when mom used to yell, “shut the door! I’m not paying to air condition the entire neighborhood!” as you walked out the door? Same concept. Retailers often open their front doors to welcome and invite shoppers into the cool and refreshing store out of the sticky NY summer heat. They are, in effect, air conditioning city blocks and wasting the electricity needed to power a store to a cool 75 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Bloomberg’s efforts are supported by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which advised city officials throughout the development of the new law. NRDC studies found “that a business with a typical 6-foot by - foot doorway in New York City wastes up to $1,000 dollars and about a ton of CO2 in a summer if it leaves it’s door open with the air conditioning on.” Bloomberg’s regulation proves to all municipalities trying to navigate their way through increasing operating costs and trying to implement environmentally focused procedures that small changes really do make a difference. The simple act of not propping a door open saves money for businesses and spares the environment future carbon emissions associated with electricity generation, and does so without requiring the investment of millions of dollars.

The head of New York’s NRDC Urban Program, Eric A. Goldstein, said, “This new law will help businesses do the right thing for New York City, for energy costs, and for the environment. This is one more example of New York City’s leadership in the energy efficiency arena, and one that will hopefully be imitated by other cities across the nation.” NRDC hopes New York’s new legislation will serve as a model to other cities and inspire them to take action.