In this week’s episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Victoria Sanders and Molly Robertson. Sanders is a research analyst at the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, and Robertson works at Resources for the Future as a research associate. They discuss a recent report that Sanders and Robertson have published alongside coauthors about the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, a 2019 law in New York State that aims to achieve net-zero emissions and specifies that at least 35 percent of the benefits should go toward disadvantaged communities. Sanders and Robertson describe the role of environmental justice communities and advocacy groups in the development and implementation of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, options for implementing the law, and how these implementation options are projected to affect greenhouse gas emissions and air quality in specific communities.

References and recommendations:

“Prioritizing Justice in New York State Climate Policy: Cleaner Air for Disadvantaged Communities?” by Alan Krupnick, Molly Robertson, Wesley Look, Eddie Bautista, Victoria Sanders, Eunice Ko, Dan Shawhan, Joshua Linn, Miguel Jaller, Narasimha Rao, Miguel Poblete Cazenave, Yang Zhang, Kai Chen, and Pin Wang; https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/environmental-justice-communities-new-york-state-climate-policy-clcpa/

“Broken Ground” podcast; https://brokengroundpodcast.org/

“Never Out of Season: How Having the Food We Want When We Want It Threatens Our Food Supply and Our Future” by Rob Dunn; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/rob-dunn/never-out-of-season/9780316260695

Climate Policy and Environmental Justice in New York, with Victoria Sanders and Molly Robertson

In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi reviews developments in energy and environmental policy in 2023 and previews potential developments in 2024 with Karen Palmer, a senior fellow at Resources for the Future, and Joseph Majkut, director of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Palmer and Majkut discuss reforms that could speed up the construction of energy infrastructure, the increasing prevalence of trade policies that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the intersection of US goals for decarbonization and foreign policy, and notable developments in policy at the state and local levels.

References and recommendations:

“How to Know a Person” by David Brooks; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/652822/how-to-know-a-person-by-david-brooks/

“The Big Dig” podcast; https://www.wgbh.org/podcasts/the-big-dig

2023 Year in Review: Energy and Environmental Policy, with Karen Palmer and Joseph Majkut

While the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) have taken considerable steps in planning for NYS’s transition to renewable energy, they must take stronger action to meet the state’s clean energy goals, according to an audit by the NYS Comptroller. The audit found inadequate planning, monitoring and assessment of risks and challenges in the PSC’s efforts to help the state meet the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s (Climate Act) targets, which seek 70% renewably sourced electricity by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2040. Tina Kim, State Comptroller for State Government Accountability, talks about the audit with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Comptroller Audits PSC, NYSERDA On Climate Progress

New York is not on track to meet its Climate Act energy mandates, and state agencies are failing in their most basic duties. NY Lawyers for the Public Interest and NY Renews released a  report, "Flouting the Law: Major State Agencies Are Ignoring New York’s Climate Mandates" finding that four of the biggest agencies —  Department of Transportation, Empire State Development, Education Department, and Department of Health — have failed to comply with the Climate Act, issuing neither policies nor guidance on implementation of the law. Caroline Chen and Sierra Townsend of NYLPI's Environmental Justice Program talks about the report with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

State Agencies Are Ignoring NY's Climate Mandates

Climate Can’t Wait, a collaborative of dozens of climate groups, has given Governor Hochul a D minus on a climate report card, including implementation of the state's climate law (CLCPA) passed five years ago.  The report graded the Governor on 13 policy implementation and legislative proposals. Ruth Foster talks to Mark Dunlea for the Hudson Mohawk Magazine

Climate Can't Wait Report Card On Gov Hochul

Four climate justice groups have sued NYS, claiming it is failing to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as mandated in the CLCPA climate law. Much of the suit focused on the Governor's delay in implementing her cap and invest program to reduce emissions, “prolonging New Yorkers’ exposure to air pollution … especially in disadvantaged communities.” Caroline Chen of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and Eric Walker of WE Act for Environmental Justice, discuss the case with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Climate Groups Sue Hochul over Delays in Climate Law (full)

Climate and environmental justice groups in March filed a lawsuit against the DEC for not releasing greenhouse gas reduction regulations mandated by the CLCPA, the state's climate law.. There will be a court hearing on Friday July 25th in Kingston. Caroline Chen of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest talks to Mark Dunlea of Hudson Mohawk Magazine about the status of the lawsuit.

Update on NYS Climate Lawsuit

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.

Judge Rules that NYS Has Illegally Delayed Climate Law

Hudson Mohawk Magazine is a local volunteer-produced news hour that provides sanctuary for the discussion of a wide range of topics, scaling from the global to the hyper-local. The show is broadcasted from The Sanctuary for Independent Media on WOOC 105.3 FM.

Thanks to listeners like you, the Sanctuary is able to use art and participatory action to promote social and environmental justice and freedom of creative expression.

Resources Radio is a weekly podcast by Resources for the Future. Each week we talk to leading experts about climate change, electricity, ecosystems, and more, making the latest research accessible to everyone.

New tracks tagged #CLCPA