Putting Out the Planetary Fire

Ecological resistance begins with a hard truth: the biosphere is being destroyed by systems that know exactly how to absorb moral outrage. You can march, sign, lobby, and testify, and still wake the next morning to another forest cut, another river poisoned, another species pushed closer to silence. Some feel more direct action is needed, Pike talks with Mark Dunlea of Hudson Mohawk Magazine,, inc...

Climate activist and author Bill McKibben spoke at the Media Sanctuary on Friday April 3 to share his hope for our future in “Here Comes the Sun,” a call to harness the power of the sun and rewrite our scientific, economic, and political future. McKibben talks with Mark Dunlea of Hudson Mohawk Magazine about the positive developments with solar energy; the war for oil with Iran and Venezuela; the...

Environmental Advocates NY and the Environmental Policy Innovation Center released a new report today about New York’s ongoing efforts to remove harmful lead service lines. The report recommends more funding and fewer hurdles in the statewide push to get the lead out. Rob Hayes of EA talks with Mark Dunlea of Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

A New York State judge has ruled that the State is violating its climate law (CLCPA) and it can not delay just because it is complicated. Citizen Action, PUSH Buffalo, Sierra Club, and We ACT sued since the state was 18 months late in issuing regulations on how it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Caroline Chen of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest talks with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Moha...

On Friday, Nov. 7, Gov. Hochul announced her approval of a 17-mile underwater natural gas pipeline near New York City and an agreement that allows Greenidge Generation to continue using fracked gas to power its Bitcoin mining operation on Seneca Lake for the next five years. Both reversed previous decisions that the projects conflicted with the state’s climate law. Yvonne Taylor of Seneca Lake Gua...

On Friday November 7, Governor Hochul made two critical decisions that appalled climate activists: approving the NESE (Northeast Supply Enhancement Extension) fracked gas pipeline under the NYC Harbor; and approving a 5 year air permit for the Greenidge Frack Gas Cryptocurrency facility at Seneca Lake. Both reversed prior decisions denying the permits. Eric Weltman of Food and Water Watch discusse...

Governor Hochul capped off a week of startling reversals on climate action by agreeing to delay the start of the All-Electric Buildings Act. The law requires all new buildings of six stories or less to be all electric (no gas or other fossil fuels) starting January 1, 2026. Liz Moran of Earth Justice discusses the issue with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Friday, November 14, was another Global Climate Strike by Fridays For Future, the international student climate group started by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. Earlier in the week, the 30th COP began in Brazil on the tenth anniversary of the Paris Climate Accords. In the Capital District, several dozen protestors gathered outside Governor Hochul’s 2nd-floor office in the State Capitol. We first...

The Hochul administration, in a lawsuit that the state had already won, surprisingly agreed to postpone the January 2026 start date for the All Electric Buildings Act, which bans fossil fuels in new buildings six stories or shorter. On Friday, Dec. 5, the NYS Building Council is considering whether to eliminate the law from the pending update to the state’s building code. Michael Hernandez of Rewi...

Clean energy advocates held a press conference ahead of the Building Code Council meeting on December 5th to uplift the affordability benefits of the All-Electric Buildings Law (AEBL). Last summer, the Building Code Council voted to update NYS codes to adopt the strongest all-electric new building code in the nation, which would have gone into effect at the start of the new year. Earlier this mont...

NY Renews is a coalition of nearly 400 climate, labor, youth, and community groups, and was the major group that pushed for the adoption of the CLCPA, the state’s climate law, in 2019. They adocate for clean energy, good jobs, and a healthier, more affordable New York. Stephan Edel, their Executive Director, discusses the successes and upcoming challenges on the group’s 10th anniversary.

More than 100 climate activists came to the State Capitol on Thursday December 11 to urge Governor Hochul to sign legislation that would end the estimated six hundred million of dollars that has been added to utility bills by requiring free gas hookups if the new the customer is within 100 feet of an existing gas pipeline. The cost of such hookups, from $2500 to $10000 per building, is presently a...

On Tuesday December 16, the Hochul administration approved an update to the state energy plan which embraced an All-of-the-Above energy policy including fossil fuels and nuclear power. Many climate groups challenged the plan as being out of compliance with the goals included in the CLCPA, the state’s climate law five years ago. Many are disappointed that not only has Hochul and NYPA failed to comm...

This show includes five climate related segments from the past year from my segments on Hudson Mohawk Magazine. 2025 was a bad year for climate action in both New York and the United States. At the federal level, President Trump took action to remove the US from the Paris climate accords while dismantling existing programs that supported the development of clean, renewable energy while promoting t...

On Thursday, October 16, the Break the Bonds NYS campaign held a rally in Albany, marching from the Capitol to NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office. The "Break the Bonds" campaign wants the New York State Common Retirement Fund (NYSCRF) to divest from Israel Bonds, which they note support the Israeli government's actions in Palestine. The Campaign says that these investments contrib...

At 12:00 Noon on Saturday, October 18, the people of the Capital Region will gather on Western Avenue between Fuller and Manning Boulevard for a nonviolent demonstration and march in collective celebration of their right to peaceably assemble, and to reaffirm, once again, that America has No Kings! More than 2600 No Kings events are planned nationwide. Organizers cite that the Trump administration...

On Friday September 26, the state senate held a roundtable on the implementation of the state’s climate law, CLCPA, which is falling short of its mandated goals. We hear from Samantha Wilt of NRDC, Alisha Dean Steinber of the League of Conservation Voters, Alison Constadine of the Decarbonization Coalition and Michael Hernandez of Rewiring America. By Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

On Tuesday, September 30, a People’s Meeting was organized outside of Governor Hochul’s nuclear summit in Syracuse by Onondaga Nation community members, the Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force, Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation, the Alliance for a Green Economy, the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS), Citizen Action, NY Renews, FWW, and Frack Action. They demanded real climate solut...

On October 7, Beyond Plastics released a new report, “Follow the Money: The David vs. Goliath Battle to Pass the New York Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act.” Reports filed with the state showed that the bill was the most lobbied on during the section, with 107 lobbyists paid to defeat it. 21 of the 50 highest-paid lobbying firms in New York were retained by industry opponents to...

On Oct. 9, Lights Out Norlite held a news conference in Cohoes, NY pointing out that there is still toxic dust being blown around from the Norlite plant despite the plant temporarily stopping the burning of imported hazardous waste since March of 2024. Norlite LLC is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation o...

When Governor Hochul attended Opening Day at the Great New York State Fair , Central New York residents, community leaders and environmentalists planned a press conference to demand the Governor reject dangerous nuclear power plants and major fracked gas pipelines . While the rally was canceled due to thunderstorms, protestors were still there with banners and several encountered the Governor insi...

On Wednesday September 3, more than 3 dozen climate activists held a news conference outside of the State Department of Environmental Conservation in downtown Albany to urge the Hochul administration not to cave to President Trump, who is pushing the Governor to reverse prior decisions rejected several William company pipelines (NISE, Constitution) allegedly in exchange for allowing an offshore wi...

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan and the Albany Community Land Trust held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, September 4 on Orange Street for geothermal drilling underway at two properties in the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood. These boreholes will enable highly efficient geothermal energy to be used to heat and cool 3 residential units and a commercial business. This pilot program, spearheaded by NYS...

On Monday. September 8, the NYS Energy and Research Development Authority held a reception on Wolf Road in Albany to observe its 50th anniversary. A number of climate groups held signs outside of the event to highlight some key reforms they hope that NYSERDA will adopt to curtail greenhouse gas emissions and speed up the transition to clean, renewable energy. We hear from Isaac Silberman-Gorn of F...

On Saturday, September 13, more than a hundred environmentalists rallied at the State Capitol to call for passage of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. Many criticized Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for refusing to allow the bill to come up to a vote the last two sessions. The bill would require a 30% reduction in packaging over 12 years and ban a number of toxic chemicals fr...