It is going to be a Big Green Apple under an ambitious plan by mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to turn New York City into what he calls "an environmentally sustainable 21st-century city" by 2030. Motorists driving their cars into certain parts of Manhattan will be charged US$8 on weekdays as congestion pricing; no city sales tax on energy-efficient hybrid vehicles; cutting greenhouse gas pollution by 30% -- these are among the 127 sweeping proposals contained in a blueprint known as PlaNYC. Bloomberg made his plans known on April 22, or Earth Day. The proposals, some viewed as contentious, would require approval from the state government. Hence, on June 5, three major environmental groups put out a newspaper advertisement as an open letter to New York state governor Eliot Spitzer, the state senate and the assembly. "Now, state leaders have an opportunity to advance one of the most aggressive climate protection goals of any US city," the letter stated. Among others, it noted that PlaNYC would bring the country's greenest building technologies to New York, besides plans to convert abandoned industrial sites into parks. On a more grassroots level, non-profit organisations like Earth Day New York are moving ahead with their plans to promote environmental awareness. "We have just started a site www.CountdownYourCarbon.org to tell people that small changes make a big difference to protect the planet," said deputy director Elizabeth Broad. Its mission is to spread the message to New Yorkers that they should switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs, plant trees in their neighbourhood and to unplug the TV, stereo or computer when they are not in use. "These are some of the small steps that we can take in our daily lives to reduce carbon dioxide emissions," she said. Broad acknowledged that New York City had a great plus point -- its extensive public transport system. "Here, people often take the subway or the bus. This cuts down on pollution. People walk a lot too," she said. Still, she noted that Americans were the largest consumers of natural resources. "We must change our behaviour. People should shop less, recycle more; just to name a few things that people can do." Although most apartment blocks in New York City provide separate bins for recycling, Broad noted that such a facility was not available on the streets. "It is frustrating to see trash cans on a street corner, overflowing with bottles and newspapers which could have been recycled," she said. Broad observed that here in the east coast of the United States, New York was quite far ahead about being environmentally-conscious. "But we are still behind the west coast like Seattle or Portland, Oregon," she said. Still, she found that there was an "overall greening of America and this is very heartening." Dani Simons, who is deputy director for communications and development for Transportation Alternatives, said, "New Yorkers are already living very low-environmental impact lifestyles. "Living in a dense urban centre means we consume less fossil fuels, produce less waste and have a smaller overall environmental footprint than most Americans. That being said, New Yorkers could still drive less, take mass transit and ride their bikes more. All of these simple changes would help reduce the amount of carbon and other pollutants." Transportation Alternatives, a non-profit citizens group that promotes cycling, walking and public transit, is part of a coalition of organisations that calls itself Campaign for New York's Future, which supports PlaNYC. Simons noted that PlaNYC would also be creating "green" jobs, which were essential to ensuring that New Yorkers could make a living. "Our elected officials need to pass legislation so that this ambitious and forward thinking plan can be enacted," she said via e-mail.