As a sharp-tongued Republican in a liberal stronghold, John A. Catsimatidis, the billionaire owner of the Gristedes grocery chain, prides himself on being called a rebel. But he was unusually defiant, even by his standards, at a mayoral forum on environmental sustainability on Monday.
Were humans causing global warming? “Not sure,†he said. Were there too many people driving cars below 59th Street in Manhattan? No. Would he like to see more people commute by bicycle? Silence.
On those three questions, his opponents were unanimous in their judgment: Mr. Catsimatidis was wrong.
Mr. Catsimatidis, though, had a simple explanation. “I tell the truth,†he said.
Eight of his opponents at the forum â€" five Democrats, two Republicans and one Independence Party member â€" spoke more moderately, seemingly more in tune to the sensibilities of the audience of several hundred at Cooper Union, many of them environmental activists.
One candidate, Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker and a Democrat, was the only contender to express support for closing the Indian Point nuclear power plant, which supplies much of New York City’s electricity.
“We want to be moving toward cleaner, safer energy,†she said to cheers from those in attendance at the forum, which was sponsored by Cooper Union and the New York League of Conservation Voters. Ms. Quinn suggested pursuing geothermal energy alternatives, like heat pumps that harness the Earth’s natural energy, to compensate for the loss of the plant.
A Republican candidate and former chief of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Joseph J. Lhota, was adamant in his opposition to a plan to build a 10-story garbage facility on the Upper East Side.
Manhattan is the only borough in the city without a waste-transfer station. Some residents have criticized the practice of hauling garbage outside of the borough for processing, saying it unfairly affects poorer areas.
But Mr. Lhota said the current arrangement was cheaper than building a new facility. “It is in no way, shape or form environmental racism,†he said.
Both Mr. Lhota and Mr. Catsimatidis sought to distance themselves from the national Republican Party, saying they believed that making alternative energy a priority would create jobs.
Several candidates praised Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the city and replace aging infrastructure with environmentally friendly buildings.
But Bill de Blasio, the public advocate and a Democratic candidate, said Mr. Bloomberg had not done enough to encourage recycling in the city, describing the mayor’s approach as “on-again and off-again.â€
“You need to stick with recycling so that it actually builds momentum,†he said. “Make it a way of life.â€
Brian Lehrer, a WNYC radio host, moderated the forum.
