In recent months Governor Hochul has indicated that she wants to weaken the state’s climate law (CLCPA). The state is not on track to meet the goals for using renewable energy for electricity or cutting greenhouse gas emissions. She claims that the world has changed since the climate law was adopted, including the impact of COVID. Her administration last week issued a 3 page memo citing significant cost increases to comply with the climate law. The memo has been harshly criticized by environmental groups who called it purposely misleading and contradictory to the state’s previous statements. Groups are holding press conferences around the state to urge lawmakers not to give in to Hochul., including one at the Capitol on Wednesday, March 4. Eric Wood of NYPIRG discusses the situation with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

The EcoAction committee of the Green Party of the US will hold an open discussion on Monday March 9 at 8 PM ET about its ecosocialist Green New Deal proposal, which it first promoted in 2010, and how to push the GND in the current political climate. At the NYS Capitol. Governor Hochul is making a major push to weaken the state’s climate law and goals. Howie Hawkins, the initial author in the US of the GND and 3 times the Green Party candidate for Governor, talks with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine. Register for the Webinar at

Food & Water Watch has released a letter that makes a compelling, urgent case for a nationwide moratorium on the construction of new AI-driven data centers. In New York, more than 100 community and faith groups signed on to a letter calling for a three-year moratorium. Eric Weltman, senior organizer for Food and Water Watch, talks to Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

New York’s largest student-led climate action, TREEage, held its 5th annual Youth Day of Action on March 17th at the Capitol, in partnership with NY Renews, Invest in Our New York, Make the Road NY, and others. An estimated 1000 attended to tell Governor Hochul to maintain hard-fought mandates under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, and address additional, timely, pressing issues like tax inequality and passing New York for All to protect immigrants. At a rally on the Million Dollar Staircase, we hear from Assembly Members Jessica González-Rojas, Anna Kelles, Sarahana Shestha, Diana Moreno, Senator Kristen Gonzales, and Assemblymember Claire Valdez. By Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

200 national, state, local groups and representatives from 6 Indigenous Nations have sent a letter to Governor Hochul demanding that she drop her plans to build 5 gigawatts of new nuclear power in the state. The advocates’ letter was signed by more than 200 groups including Food & Water Watch, Alliance for a Green Economy, NY Renews (a coalition of 400+ organizations), NIRS, Citizen Action, NYPIRG, PUSH Buffalo, and Make the Road NY. The Indigenous nations’ letter came from the Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force Ryan Madden of NY Renews talks with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

On Wednesday March 25th 500 climate activists came to the State Capitol to urge state lawmakers not to give in to Governor Hochul’s push to gut the state’s climate law. We hear from Anne Rabe of the Alliance for a Nuclear Free NY; Greg Schwedock; Ethan Gormley of Citizen Action; Kim Fraczek of the Sane Energy Project; Molly Ornati of 350 Brooklyn; John Seakwood of Third Act Upstate; Alex Beauchamp of Food and Water Watch; Laura Faulk of the Climate Reality Project; Meghan Ahearn of NYPIRG; Jessica Azulay of AGREE: Jim Gordon of Extinction Rebellion; Bill Tai of Third Act; And Santosh of NY Communities for Change. About two dozen were eventually arrested for blocking access to the Governor’s office, including Greg, Molly, Bill, Jim, Santosh, and me. By Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

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,, including about the “culture of resistance that these punks out in the woods cultivate. “

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 fight for democracy; and concerns about Governor Hochul’s push to weaken the state climate law.

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 Mohawk Magazine.