Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Announces Major Solar Investment at City Schools, Key Component of New Green Buildings Plan

September 29, 2014

Charles Gallo, Principal: Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the campus principals, I’d like to thank you for visiting the Kennedy campus. My name is Charles Gallo and I’m principal of Bronx Theatre High School. This campus currently houses seven high schools. Each one of us works together to provide high quality education for all students and to create awareness that we have the responsibility to monitor our resources for generations to come. Under the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Kennedy campus has installed solar panels to lower our footprint and help our make our campus dependent on other sources of energy. This is a 21st century concept that is now a reality thanks to the planning, preparation, and implementation from the mayor’s office. Our students have been given the opportunity to participate in Green Teams thanks to the initiatives put in place for sustainability coordinators this year by the Department of Education. These coordinators are responsible for creating an awareness of conservation and reduction in our footprint, as well as leading our youth to a cleaner, greener environment. It gives me great pleasure to introduce the Mayor of New York City, the Honorable Bill de Blasio.

[Applause]

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you. Well done. I want to thank Principal Gallo. I want to thank him and the entire leadership team here and all the great people at this school for what they are doing to make this a greener school, to make this a part of the progress we need to make all over our school system, all over our city.

The work here is extraordinary. The focus on environmental initiatives is profound. It’s sending a powerful message to the young people who go to this school. It’s setting an example for schools all over the city, for public buildings all over the city, for the private sector. This is one of the places where you can see what the future’s going to look like.

A number of folks at this school have done great work. I want to particularly mention one member of the staff who’s truly devoted himself to this – Dan Steiner, who is the science teacher and sustainability coordinator at Bronx Theatre High School. Dan has been recruiting students to be a part of his Green Team. They lead recycling efforts and smart energy initiatives. So he’s teaching a whole generation of young people to focus on these issues and do something about it. And Dan has particularly been excited about these solar panels because they’re not only something great for the environment and for the school, they also use the panels as part of the science classes to teach our young people about the future of energy.

The JFK campus is a solar pioneer. This school and eight other schools have solar panels already, but that number will rise very soon. We’ll install solar panels on 24 newly-roofed schools. It’s an ambitious project, but it’s a necessary one. We are blessed to have some real partnership and help in this from the state of New York. On Friday, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority – NYSERDA – announced grants. The city of New York will get $5 million for the solar installation projects and that will supplement substantial investment the city is already making.

I want to thank everyone who made that grant possible, including Governor Cuomo, who I can tell you personally is very, very devoted to resiliency and understands how important it is to do that in our public buildings, and NYSERDA President and CEO John Rhodes and his board of directors. They have been great partners – sources of a lot of knowledge and support and of course financial help as well. And I want to thank our DCAS Commissioner Stacey Cumberbatch and her whole team. They applied for the grants. They won them. They’re going to be implementing these projects.

I want to note a number of leaders of my administration who are here. I want to note some – acknowledge some – up front, others you’ll hear from in the speaking program. First I’d like to acknowledge Dan Zarrilli, who’s been doing great work as our director of the Office of Recovery and Resiliency; Rick Chandler, our buildings commissioner; Lorraine Grillo, the president of the School Construction Authority; and Linda Green, the Chief Administrative Officer at the division of school facilities.

We also have environmental activists and business organizations that have been squarely a part of our efforts – have become key partners in what we’re trying to do on sustainability, and what we’re doing, and what we’ve announced recently in terms of climate change. I want to thank the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Real Estate Board of New York, and the Partnership of – excuse me – the Partnership for New York City, all of which have been tremendously supportive.

A number of elected officials here to support these efforts as well – I’d like to acknowledge them. Some you’ll hear from as well, but I’d like to acknowledge Adriano Espaillat, New York State Senator; Jeff Dinowitz from the State Assembly; Donovan Richards, the chair of our Environmental Protection Committee in the Council; Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez, chair of the Transportation Committee; and Councilmember Andy Cohen – I think, Andy, are we in your district?

Council Member Andy Cohen: Yes.

Mayor: Yes we are. Excellent.

Council Member Andy Cohen: On the border.

Mayor: On the border – good enough. And you’ll hear from a couple of other elected officials in just a moment.

We had an extraordinary week last week – a truly historic week, a week we’re going to look back on ­– not only in New York City but around the globe – as having been a turning point. The march on Sunday a week ago was bigger and stronger than anything predicted – hundreds of thousands of people in New York City and then at locations all over the world. There was an outpouring that said very clearly that the people are ready for change. The people, in fact, in many ways, are ahead of the politicians and the policymakers. And there’s an urgency now – a combination of the marches around the world, the Climate Summit has really put a point on the fact that we have to act boldly and now.

I’ve talked to some of you about the fact that this issue became important to me even as far back as the end of the 1970’s. When I got to NYU it was the first issue I worked on, was alternative energy, and the threats facing the earth because of the way we misuse energy. That was 1979. We have made some real progress since, and yet, we haven’t solved the core problem and we have the problem of climate change now bearing down on us as never before. That’s why it is so important to act quickly, boldly, with every tool we have.

These 24 projects we’re talking about today are part of a larger commitment. They’re going to be an important part because they’re going to help lead the way in our efforts to use much more renewable energy in New York City. It’s part of the bigger commitment we made during Climate Week that we will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent – 80 percent – over the 2005 levels by the year 2050. Again, we are now the largest city in the world to commit to the 80-by-50 goal and I’ll tell you – it was so striking last week how much that was felt by other leaders around the country, and around the globe, that New York City was stepping forward so squarely. We said, it’s a matter of survival. We have to get to this goal, and we’re going to use every tool we have to achieve it.

The fact is, we need conservation, we need renewable energy, we need to cut emissions in every conceivable manner, we need new technology – we need all of these pieces – so we must reach the goal. It’s a matter of survival. Solar is a crucial piece of this puzzle. It provides long-term carbon-free electricity. It increases resiliency as well. We saw after Sandy what happened to some of our electricity supply. We want more and more of our electricity supply to be managed and run here in New York City.

So we’ve set a goal of developing, through our public buildings, over the next ten years, 100 megawatts of solar power – just on our public buildings alone. That means installing panels – solar panels – on more than 300 city-owned building roofs. We also believe, in the same time frame, that the private sector will reach about 250 megawatts, which will bring us to a grand total of about 350 megawatts being produced by solar in this city within the next ten years. We’d like to go a lot farther, but that’s our first goal. That will take us to about 1 percent of all city electricity being produced right here in New York City by solar, and will reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated three­– excuse, me, an estimated 35,000 metric tons – a reduction of 35,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

The 24 school projects we’re starting with will generate a total of 6.25 megawatts of power, tripling the amount of solar power currently gathered on city building roofs. And it’s also, again, an important teaching tool. It’s an opportunity to show the next generation of leaders and citizens and activists how this can be done.

Yes, you save money when you put in renewable energy, and yes, it is technology we want to support in every way, but it’s also a moral imperative. The great environmentalist John James Audubon said it very well years ago. He said, “A true conservationist is a man who knows that this world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.” That’s the attitude we have to take. What we’re doing today is the right thing to do for the future. It’s the right thing to do for our children and grandchildren. With the help of our partners at the state government, we’re one step closer today to handing off a planet that will be a safe place for future generations.

A moment in Spanish –

[Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish]

With that, I’d like to bring up the man who we’ve given a lot of responsibility to because he has flourished in many tough assignments before. I asked him to play the key role in helping to move forward all of our efforts to respond to the aftermath of Sandy. We’re also having him play a key role in our efforts at sustainability and our effort to reach the 80-by-50 goal. He’s a proven force in these areas – my Senior Advisor for Recovery, Resiliency, and Infrastructure Bill Goldstein.

Senior Advisor Bill Goldstein: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. You know, over the weekend I read an article that noted that carbon emissions in the United States had risen in the first six months of 2014, compared with the same period in each of the past two years. A sobering statistic, because clearly that’s the wrong direction, but it’s a statistic that only further reinforces the need that the largest city in the country undertake the responsibility to significantly reduce our own greenhouse gas emissions and lead by example. And with the new program announced by the mayor last week, that is just what we’ll be doing.

We’ve committed to putting New York City, as the mayor said, on a path to reduce carbon emissions in the city by 80 percent by 2050. And we’ve developed an array of aggressive, but achievable policies and initiatives that will focus on the source of almost 75 percent of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions – and that’s our public and private buildings.

With us here today are some of the key people who will lead the city’s efforts to increase the energy efficiency of the city’s public buildings – Stacey Cumberbatch of DCAS, Lorraine Grillo of the School Construction Authority. I also want to acknowledge the role that’s going to be played by our building department – Department of Buildings, lead by Rick Chandler – played a key role in code development and enforcement.

And I think, just as importantly, we saw last Friday at the mayor’s roundtable, that the leaders of New York City’s real estate, business and labor communities are also committed to attacking the problem on the private side. And I look forward to working with them all as we move ahead to undertake an effort that’s critical to the future well-being of the city and will set an example for the rest of the world. Thank you.

Mayor: Thank you very much.

[Applause]

Mayor: Thank you, Bill. Now the woman who’s in charge of all of our city facilities, making them run efficiently – but, I can tell you, she has an extraordinary sense of commitment to the environment and making our city buildings green, and greener all the time – our DCAS Commissioner Stacey Cumberbatch.

[Applause]

DCAS Commissioner Stacey Cumberbatch: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for your leadership on climate change and setting a clear course for the city’s contribution at reducing greenhouse gases by 80 percent by the year 2050. As some of you know, DCAS serves as the hub for energy management in New York City government, managing the energy account efficiency initiative for government operations. We’re proud to lead in the implementation of the plan to make city buildings energy efficient and to outline in the mayor’s new plan One City, Built to Last. The NYSERDA grant will help triple the amount of solar installed on city buildings – funding the installation of over 6.25 megawatts on 24 schools across five boroughs. We expect a new installation which will result in approximately $2 million dollars of avoided electricity costs. DCAS’s work as the city government’s energy manager could not happen without the tremendous commitment and work of DCAS’s energy team – so, a special thanks goes out to Emily Dean and Jordan Decker, under the leadership of Emily Small, for submitting the winning grant application that brings us here today. And I also want to thank NYSERDA President and CEO John Rhodes for your leadership in including NYFA electricity customers, such as New York City public schools and the New York Sun program. We look forward to working with our partners – the sustainability office, DOE, School Construction Authority and NYFA in implementing these important projects over the next few years. Thank you.

Mayor: Thank you very much.

[Applause]

Mayor: Next I’d like to bring forward Professor Jeff Sachs. Jeff is one of the great voices on this earth for environmental sustainability. He also is one of the great voices for economic fairness and justice and those two efforts have to come together in all we do to protect the great economic opportunity to come along with this. But as the director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, I can say I saw it with my own eyes, this week Global leaders flocked around Jeff because he gives them a sense of a roadmap, a way forward and a way to take on this challenge and a very powerful voice. Bring forward Professor Jeff Sachs.      

[Applause]

[Professor Jeffrey Sachs speaks]

[Mayor de Blasio introduces various elected officials; elected officials deliver remarks]

Mayor: Okay, let’s take on-topic questions, followed by off-topic. Let’s start with on-topic.

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: [inaudible] Cumberbatch will give you the facts.

Commissioner Cumberbatch: So, currently there are nine schools that are outfitted with solar panels. Under this grant however, we are increasing it to 24 schools that will also have solar panels by 2016. We’re still doing a feasibility study as to which schools, but they will representative of all of the boroughs.

Mayor: Gale Brewer is repeatedly claiming, in the back – she’s heckling. She’s saying she is first.

Borough President Gale Brewer: I am first.

Mayor: I’m going to agree with her, in this instance. On topic. Yes.

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: Well, it depends on the circumstances. [inaudible] give the rundown.

Commissioner Cumberbatch: It’s hard to determine. It depends on that school’s energy use at the time. So, it all depends. It’s based on a formula. So, it varies from school to school. What our team does is we do an assessment of current energy load for that particular school. And then based on a formula, some determination is made on how much comes from solar, how much comes from traditional energy sources.

Question: [inaudible]

Commissioner Cumberbatch: Okay, my team – my energy team tells me it’s 5 percent – is actually generated from solar.

Question: [inaudible]

Charles Gallo: Mr. Steiner, who is our environmental science teacher, is head of the Green Team, and he’s doing various activities with the kids, such as Green Teams and different activities through the building.

Dan Steiner: Hi, everybody. Thank you for coming. In Environmental Science, we teach about sustainability. The earth cannot continue on its path of waste and riches to rags. And many nations in the world are suffering because of climate change. We’ve discussed these topics. We talk about energy. We have a garden where we grow local food and the kids get hands-on work with solar and other fossil fuel reduction. And hopefully we’ll be able to get involved with checking the meter. I understand it’ll be 20 percent reduction in this school. And we’re starting our recycling of paper [inaudible].

Mayor: Well done [inaudible]. You’re inspiring him. [Laughter] 

Unknown: [inaudible]

Mayor: On topic, on topic. Yes.

Question: So, it’s been said here that the whole world is going to have to get on board with this. But China has a reputation for not getting on board when it comes to pollution and concern about the environment. Is there any concern here that ­– how you get a place like China –

Mayor: Well I think that is starting to change. I think, as with many things in China, the people are speaking and demanding a greener future. I think the government there is aware of that fact. I think the economics are changing. And you see, as was pointed out earlier, by the changes in the market dynamics, as Jeff Sachs explained, now we’re getting solar panels at a much cheaper price. A lot of that is coming out of China. I think the dynamics are changing and it is untenable for China to stand apart. So, part of what we have to do is create more pressure, not just on China, but on all nations and all localities around the world. And this is an emerging model – it’s something I’ve talked to Jeff Sachs about and a lot of other leading voices in this world – that when national governments have been slow to act, whether its climate change, poverty, so many other areas – it’s up to local governments to act and set the pace, and push upward. And I think it’s going to be very difficult for China, seeing so much action around the world, to stand apart next year when we come to that crucial milestone. On topic, yes.

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: Because we felt that 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050 was a very ambitious goal, a difficult goal, but a necessary one. It’s a globally recognized goal. We did a lot of analysis here in New York City to see what it would take to reach it. We are planning on some technology advances as part of that process. Given what we’ve seen, Jeff’s example is a good one, about changing technology, improving technology, lower costs of renewable technology. We are confident that the technology will meet us as we need. But this was the highest goal we believe we could reach and it was the new international gold standard.

Question: [inaudible] Are there any other city buildings that have been retrofitted so far?

Commissioner Cumberbatch: Energy team?

Mayor: Energy team, you can come up if you like. Some member of the energy team has to come forward. And name yourself. You cannot stand in the shadows any longer.

Emily Dean: Hi, Emily Dean, DCAS. So in terms of other city buildings that have solar PV, there are 19 other buildings, amounting to about 500 kilowatts. And through the mayor’s initiative to expand solar on city buildings, we’ll be touching at least another 300.

Mayor: On topic, on topic, on topic. Yes?

Question: So, JFK currently has solar panels but [inaudible]

Commissioner Cumberbatch: No, that’s one of the initial nine that have been outfitted already. So the 24 are under the new grant that we just received.

Question: [inaudible]

Commissioner Cumberbatch: In addition to the nine, there are 24.

Mayor: This is a model of what you’ll see more of. So we wanted to give you a real, existing model. And I’m assuming that our colleagues in the press will get a chance to see the solar panels. After this, we’ll get a chance to actually see them. Okay, on topic. Yes?

Question: So, Mr. Mayor, for emblematic reasons, will there be solar panels on City Hall?

Mayor: We are going to look at that. We are going to look at all city buildings and see where it makes sense to install them. But I think we want to send a powerful message on everything we’re doing on the 80-by-50, on the use of renewable energy. We’re going to look to do that, first and foremost, where we think it’s going to make a functional difference and really help us reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. But there will be some cases where it also is important to do so symbolically. So, that’s definitely an option.

On topic. On topic. On topic.

Okay, I'm going to turn the tables before off-topic. I get to ask a question – members of the press corps, how many of you believe that, here at JFK, they are collecting solar power right now on this overcast day?

How many believe, right now, power is being collected?

How many of you believe it is not being collected because it is overcast?

Stacey Cumberbatch, will you give us the answer please?

Commissioner Cumberbatch: You're right! [inaudible] collecting power. So, even if it's overcast, these panels are absorbing energy.

Mayor: That was so much fun to ask you a question. I'm going to do that from time to time. All right, off topic. 

Question: Students, especially here at JFK, where the school had been closed due to poor performance, for the last 12 years showed little improvement academically. However, the previous mayor [inaudible] the extended day program, which has been eliminated this school year? What have you, and what are you doing, to improve student improvement in [inaudible]?

Mayor: We're going to have a lot more to say about our struggling schools in the coming weeks. We have a very aggressive model. It's different from the previous administration's model. It's a different level of investment, a different level of personnel that are brought in to help a struggling school. So, I want to express my admiration for all the professionals here who are working hard. We think there's other things we can do to support them, but we'll have more to say on that in the next few weeks. 

Question: Mayor, I had a two-part question. First of all, I was wondering if you could comment on the [inaudible] critical to public school system [inaudible] all of their donors, rather?

Mayor: I have not seen the ads, so I can't comment on the details of the ad. Of course, I think people should disclose their backers. I think this is something the public demands. I've been working on these issues for a long time, since the very, very unfortunate decision in the Citizens United case by the U.S. Supreme Court. I think disclosure is the one thing that everyone should agree on, so the public can judge what interests are at play. On the substance of the issue – look, I've talked about this a lot, I'll have more to say in the coming weeks. My job is to serve all the children of this city. Over one million of those kids go to traditional public schools. That's our first obligation to get it right. We know that many parts of our school system are not working the way they should. We have started on a very bold plan to change the school system from its foundations up. That's why we're going to do full-day pre-k for all, after-school programs, community schools. That's why we achieved a contract with the teachers union that allows for more teacher training, more strategic involvement with parents. There's so many things that have to change in this school system. But we're devoted to making every school work. I think that is the structural change that's needed in this city. And that's what we're devoted to. And I'm very proud of our public schools. Our public schools have turned out extraordinary leaders, internationally famous leaders, throughout their history. Our public schools serve so many children who need that support every single day. We need to make them universally good. We need to reach every neighborhood, every school, and that's what we're devoted to doing.

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: I haven't seen the bill. I'll certainly look at it. We want to make sure that all facilities are safe, but I need to see it before I can comment.

Question: Mayor, the deal to extend [inaudible] NYU [inaudible] would the bill consider what happened there [inaudible]?

Mayor: We've been very active, in the last few days, at City Hall – a number of us – in the effort to bring that deal back together. I feel good about the possibilities, that we will make that deal work. NYU is a very strong health care provider. You know, I think we have an opportunity here to ensure that the neighborhood has quality health care, which was always the goal. So, I feel that we're on the right track, and that when we achieve that outcome, we will have succeeded in what we said we wanted to do last year, which was to preserve health care on the site. 

Question: I'm wondering if you could describe what you felt last week when you found out that the groundhog you held at the ceremony last year died shortly after?

Mayor: I found out as all of you found out. I had no idea previously. And we just refer questions to the Staten Island Zoo. They're the experts. 

Question: Follow up – I was wondering if you had any plans to hold a groundhog again? 

Mayor: Yeah, I'm going to let the Staten Island Zoo determine what's the right course of action. I'm certainly open to any changes, but we have to let them determine what makes sense.

Question: Mr. Mayor, regarding the report about [inaudible] Rikers Island [inaudible] Can you talk about what alternative punishments might replace that? And then regarding the adult population, is there plans to reduce the use of solitary and when will that begin?

Mayor: We'll be unveiling different reforms over time. I think I've made clear, and our Commissioner Joe Ponte has made clear, the status quo at Rikers is unacceptable. We're going to be doing a series of reforms. And we're making a lot of investments, particularly in terms of trying to improve facilities for the youngest inmates, and for those with mental health challenges – and sometimes, it's both. I think the bottom line here is that there are available alternatives. Joe Ponte can give you a good sense of the history, and why these alternatives work, and that we think they're more effective and more humane, particularly for our youngest inmates. So, we'll move in that direction. But there's going to be a series of reforms made there. 

Question: Just to follow up on that [inaudible]?

Mayor: I think they will move quickly. I think the fact is – and we've been straightforward about this – we've been moving a series of very big reforms when it comes to our schools. Pre-k, afterschool for middle school kids, community schools, the teachers contract – including the new PROSE schools, the reform schools. We're going to be speaking soon on discipline issues. We're going to be speaking soon on struggling schools. You're going to see a series of additional reforms. Each one of these takes real time to construct properly, but I can guarantee you, when it comes to efforts in struggling schools, involving struggling schools, some of that work's already happening – right now in this school year – and we will announce more, and you'll see the effects during this school year.

Question: You said last week [inaudible] report about Rachel Noerdlinger [inaudible] your old press secretary Lis Smith wasn't allowed to continue after [inaudible] dating Eliot Spitzer – I mean, what's the difference, here?

Mayor: They're very different situations. Lis worked on my general election campaign. She did a great job. As you know, she's a prominent consultant nationally, and she chose to go back to consulting work. This is a very different situation. 

Question: When did you find about Governor Cuomo's trip to Afghanistan this weekend? Did you have any heads up, and have you heard any reports on the trip so far? 

Mayor: We got a heads up just before it became public, and I have not heard reports back, but I commend him. I think he's, you know, getting information that's important for New York state, and obviously, very much appreciate that he is there in support of our troops.

Question: [inaudible] Rikers Island, there are some other options for the younger criminals. Can you expand on that, where are those other options?

Mayor: Well, we're going to be laying out our reform plans at Rikers Island steadily, but I think this is an indication immediately of the fact that we're trying to treat the youngest inmates differently. We don't think solitary confinement's the right path. We certainly do want to do a lot more to attend to mental health needs, and I think it's a pretty well-known fact that a lot of the challenge at Rikers is more and more of the folks who come in, in recent years, have profound mental health issues. We've got to get to the core of that problem. So, there'll be a series of reforms. You saw some in our budget we announced in June. You've seen some announcements, like the one related to solitary, but it's going to be an ongoing effort.

Question: The Astoria Cove development is being voted on by the city planning commission today. They've [inaudible] 20 percent affordable housing, a lot of people are actually supporting that. What do you think is, you know, an appropriate level for a development like that?

Mayor: It always depends on a development, because, first of all, it depends on the specific finances, and there are times when the finances are more difficult than other times. It depends on what other public needs are being met by the development. So, that work is still going on, and obviously, then there's going to be a further process on it thereafter. So, the bottom line is, we strive for the highest percentage of affordable housing available in each development. Sometimes we may say there's another important need that is being met. I can think of several developments where that was public school space, or public park space – but the goal going into every discussion is to pump that affordability number up, and there's still time on the clock here.

Question: Mayor, you traveled to Europe while in office. Governor Cuomo has been to Israel and Afghanistan. Do you have any plans in your future to also travel to the middle east region? 

Mayor: We'll see. I've said, I certainly intend to go back to Israel. I've been three times. I certainly intend to go back at some point, but we don't have a specific plan yet. 
Jim.

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: I knew a Jim Lamb many years ago, who was a lawyer I worked with, and I still confuse Rich and Jim. I'm sorry, Rich.

Question: Mr. Mayor, you know, a couple of pedestrians were hit over the weekend. Is it reasonable to use a term like Vision Zero – I know that's aspirational, but is there any way to actually eliminate, you know, pedestrian deaths?

Mayor: You know, Rich, it's a very fair question. I think what we saw in other places that have attempted these strategies – and Sweden is particularly famous for it, but other places as well – is the rallying cry really mattered. It really mattered to say how much this is a problem we can solve. It turns out a vast amount of this problem is one we can solve. Some of it comes down to individual behavior – a lot of it – and the whole message around Vision Zero, and all the energy it's created, and all the local discussion it's created, is helping to change behavior. Some of it comes down to government being smarter – the speed cameras around schools, the traffic calming measures, the speed limit. They come together and they really start to change behavior. So, I think it is right to call it that, because it's calling out to people the notion that if they change their behavior, literally we can save lives on an unforeseen scale. I think it is the right way to talk about it. I understand how difficult it is. But, unlike some other problems we face, this one really comes down to individual behavior, and changeable behavior, in a much more profound way. 
Last call.

Question: Are you concerned that anything you did contributed to the death of –

Mayor: I've spoken to it. Talk to the Staten Island Zoo. Thanks, guys.