New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday declared that “we have twelve years to turn the tide in our fight to save our planet” just hours after being pressed over his regular use of an SUV to make an 11-mile trip to the gym.
“We have twelve years to turn the tide in our fight to save our planet. TWELVE,” the mayor tweeted to his 1.3 million followers Monday evening. “We don’t have the benefit of a federal government to lead the way and we can’t wait for this president to wake up. It’s on us to make radical change.”
The mayor followed that tweet up with one just after midnight stating, “The fight to save our planet will be won or lost in our lifetime. Don’t believe me (or science)? Ask our first responders who were on the ground during Hurricane Sandy.”{mosads}
The tweets came hours after the mayor faced criticism in an appearance on MSNBC for his regular use of an SUV.
Associated Press White House reporter Jonathan Lemire challenged de Blasio on the SUV use to travel from Manhattan to Brooklyn to go to the YMCA and back.
“What sort of environmentally responsible example are you setting there, taking this drive in a car as opposed to going to someplace nearby?” asked Lemire, who also serves as an MSNBC political analyst.
“Let’s make clear, this is just a part of my life,” de Blasio responded. “I come from that neighborhood in Brooklyn. That’s my home. I go there on a regular basis to stay connected to where I come from and not be in a bubble that I think for a lot of politicians is a huge problem.”
De Blasio also called for a ban on “classic glass and steel skyscrapers” in New York City, calling them “incredibly inefficient.”
The mayor has championed a number of green policies since taking office in 2014.
He signed an executive order in 2017 reaffirming the city’s commitment to upholding the goals of the Paris climate change agreement despite President Trump withdrawing the U.S. from the pact.