Environment
The Round Goby Has Reached the Hudson. Will It Keep Going?
The round goby, a prolific and destructive invasive fish, has spread from the Great Lakes all the way to the Hudson River. New York's canal operators are trying to keep it from invading Lake Champlain too. Does the plan go far enough?
A Green Firehouse for New Paltz, Despite the Odds
New Paltz's all-electric, solar-powered firehouse is one small step for a Hudson Valley community, one giant leap for New York's millions of dirty buildings.
Climate World Fractures Over an Extension Cord to Canada
State regulators just voted to greenlight a project that will cut New York City’s power emissions in half. But local environmentalists aren’t celebrating.
New York’s First-in-Nation Gas Ban ‘Officially Dead’—For Now
A proposal to ban fossil fuel heating in new buildings, touted by Governor Hochul, has been dropped during final budget negotiations.
The Future of Work Is Green
Climate action and the clean energy transition will bring a wave of new jobs to New York. Is the Hudson Valley workforce ready for them?
Hudson Valley Left Out of New York Climate Hearings
As a region, the Hudson Valley has more than its fair share of communities on the front lines of climate impact. Will their voices be heard on New York’s climate plan?
New York’s Heat Pump Program Is Drying Up
A new program is successfully helping New York homeowners wean their homes off fossil fuels. So why is it being scaled back?
The Little Schooner That Might
Sail freight is desperately romantic. True believers think it could help solve the climate crisis. Is it a real solution?
Is This the Moment for Passive House Design in New York?
How an idealistic, 70s-era building trend may help the state transition away from fossil fuels.
New York’s Climate Action Wish List
State lawmakers are weighing a slew of climate-related bills in 2022. Here’s what climate advocates are pushing for.
Hochul’s Budget Charts a Middle Path on Climate
The $216 billion budget would ban gas in new construction, but otherwise offers few dramatic moves on climate. Advocates say it’s not enough.
Leading the Flock
New York State is poised for an agrivoltaics revolution. But to get there, we’re going to need a lot of collaboration between agriculture and energy—and a lot more sheep.
Failure of Build Back Better Casts Uncertainty over New York’s Climate Plans
Without significant federal funding, states are on their own to decarbonize their economies.
Climate Health Is Human Health
Making big progress on climate action will give us all longer and healthier lives—even if we don’t stop global warming.
In the Catskills, One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Business Model
As New York cracks down on climate change, green energy projects are encroaching on the state’s most rural landscapes.
In a World of Vague Climate Targets, New York Has a Plan—Almost
While Congress dithers on climate, New York is laying plans for “deep decarbonization” of the state’s $2 trillion annual economy.
What the Right to Clean Air and Water Will Mean for New Yorkers
The Environmental Rights Amendment, approved by voters last week, grants New Yorkers a new set of constitutional protections.
New York Declares New Superfund Site in Rensselaer County
The Route 203 site is tied to the toxic dumping ground known as the Dewey Loeffel Landfill, and could pose a threat to drinking water in Nassau.
Community Choice Aggregation Programs Flex Their Power
CCAs are confusing, acronym-laden, and embroiled in municipal government minutiae. They also might be the key to unlocking the power of local clean energy.
The Backyard Battle for New York’s Climate Future
A proposal to place large solar arrays in bucolic Copake has inflamed passions on both sides—and illuminated a challenge for the state in reaching its energy goals.
