| | When: 10 AM to 4 PM Where: Albany
NYPIRG, TREEage, and NY Renews held an exciting day of climate action! We met with our state representatives and made our voices heard for the Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package and Green Healthy Schools. |
| | When: 10 AM Where: East New York LIRR Entrance (Van Sinderen Avenue & Atlantic Avenue)
NYPIRG, other transit advocates, and New York City Councilmember Sandy Nurse pushed for repairs to the East New York LIRR station in Brooklyn!
A few weeks ago, the MTA sent a letter to contractors that it will no longer be issuing new construction contracts due to the uncertainty of capital funding from congestion pricing, as litigation is pending. More specifically, this will put an immediate halt on signal upgrades on the A, B, C, D, and F subway lines, along with projects that would make 70 stations ADA compliant. |
| | The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is responsible for reviewing the Iroquois ExC Project’s applications for expanding their gas compressor stations in the towns of Athens and Dover for compliance with the air pollution regulations and the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act). The ExC Project would result in additional greenhouse gas emissions, particularly due to downstream greenhouse gas emissions from the end-use combustion of the incremental natural gas capacity, and would facilitate the expanded or continued use of fossil fuels through new infrastructure development.
Please write a comment to the DEC asking them to deny this request, and to instead prioritize protecting the air quality in New York!
Comments can be submitted via email at DEPEnergy@dec.ny.gov. All comments must be received no later than 5 PM on March 29, 2024.
Thank you for your help! |
| | When: All day Where: Albany
NYPIRG, NY Renews, and our coalition partners called on Governor Hochul and state legislators to prioritize climate, jobs, and justice in this year's state budget.
Photos by Ken Schles |
| | When: 11 AM to 4 PM Where: New York State Capitol in Albany
NYPIRG participated in a pivotal day of action and rallied in support of the NY HEAT Act!
We joined environmental activists, advocates, legislative champions, and everyday New Yorkers in Albany to solidify the NY HEAT Act's inclusion in the state budget for cleaner heat and lower bills! Together, we will free New Yorkers from outdated rules forcing us to burn fossil fuels, and move us toward the 100% renewable future we deserve. |
| | When: All day Where: Albany
NYPIRG students headed to Albany to fight for free public college tuition, better financial aid, more mental health services, and MORE!
After years of stagnant state funding and ever-increasing tuition, it is vital that we not return to the status quo in higher education. New York must usher in a new era that recognizes that investing in higher education boosts racial and economic equity and strengthens our economy. Students from across the state headed to Albany to fight for free and fully funded CUNY and SUNY, more financial aid, and additional class offerings, advisers, and mental health counselors.
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| | When: 10:30 AM to 4 PM Where: New York State Capitol in Albany
NYPIRG, Beyond Plastics, and other members of the New York is Not Disposable Coalition rallied and met with state representatives to urge them to pass a strong Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act and the Bigger Better Bottle Bill. |
| | When: 12 PM Where: Virtual (Zoom)
NYPIRG, NYenvironcom, and The Serica Initiative had an online discussion exploring the state of ground-level recycling, some of the changes since China greatly restricted imports of recyclables in 2018, and what this all means for the collectors and stewards of many of our post-consumer recyclable materials in the circular economy. We looked at the history and culture of these recyclers, how immigration has been a part of this important story, the positive role of these recyclers in our community and for the environment, the greater industry picture, and recognized some of the members of this community with the 1st Annual Recycling Efforts and Achievements at the Local Level (REALL) awards.
This online event included speakers Blair Horner, Executive Director of NYPIRG; Ryan Castalia, Executive Director of Sure We Can; and Samantha MacBride, Assistant Professor of Public Affairs at Baruch College of the City University of New York. The event was moderated by Alex Scilla, Founder/Director of NYenvironcom. |
| | When: All day Where: New York State Capitol in Albany
NYPIRG – along with youth, faith, and environmental groups – joined with legislators to support the Climate Change Superfund Act, which would make Big Oil companies help foot the skyrocketing bill for climate change and resiliency, currently borne by local governments and state taxpayers.
During the news conference, NYPIRG released our video featuring a Long Island homeowner talking about the climate costs burden on taxpayers and the need for Big Oil to pay.
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| | When: All day Where: New York State Capitol in Albany
NYPIRG joined a coalition rally and lobby day for the NY HEAT Act, to help the state's transition away from fossil fuels while saving New Yorkers money on utility bills. NYPIRG advocates, students, and Donald K. Ross Future Leaders Program interns rallied with legislative champions and met with 60+ legislators throughout the day.
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A huge win for New Yorkers!
Governor Hochul signed the Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act, a historic bill that removes medical debt from credit reports. Hunter NYPIRG Student Anthony Calafiura spoke alongside the governor before the signing. |
| | When: 11 AM Where: Union Square in Manhattan
The NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign rallied for Congestion Pricing NOW!
As the New York City region's population and commerce have grown, so have traffic and gridlock. New York State and City officials, stakeholders, and advocacy groups have conducted numerous studies over the past 45 years to determine the most effective way to address congestion – particularly in the most congested area, the Manhattan Central Business District (CBD). These studies overwhelmingly pointed to congestion pricing as the most effective tool.
Faster buses, cleaner air, and transit improvements are on the horizon! Congestion pricing will not only reduce traffic and cut pollution, it will also raise billions of dollars to fix the aging transit system to improve commutes for transit riders, a majority of whom come from marginalized communities or low-income households. We celebrate the TMRB's recommendations to implement congestion pricing, and call on the MTA to adopt them swiftly to support equitable and reliable mass transit for all of us.
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| | When: 4 PM Where: BQE Trench Area in Williamsburg, South 3rd Street & Rodney Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
NYPIRG joined the NY Renews coalition for The People’s Climate Justice Budget campaign launch!
The New York State climate movement has a winning vision: green union jobs, clean air, lower utility costs, and real community-led climate and justice solutions. Passing this critical budget proposal would fund community-led environmental justice projects across New York State, including transforming the South Williamsburg BQE trench into a vital public space and park – and it will be funded in part by the Climate Change Superfund Act, making polluters pay!
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| | When: 6 to 9 PM Where: City Winery in Manhattan
That is an incredible testament to the dedication, hard work, and luck that has allowed us to meet the half-century mark. It is quite a milestone – which we marked with the NYPIRG 50th Anniversary Celebration.
The event was a rousing success, and we all had a wonderful time celebrating NYPIRG’s decades of tireless work for the public interest, reconnecting with friends and colleagues from years past, and honoring our 2023 Changemaker Award recipients – including renowned author and activist Jane Fonda!
We are pleased to share these event photos and this commemorative video that highlights NYPIRG's decades of tireless work for the public interest.
Thank you so much to everyone who was involved – our honorees, current and former students and staff, friends, colleagues, and supporters – for your generous support and steadfast commitment to our crucial mission.
Thanks again, and we look forward to the work ahead! |
| | When: 12 PM Where: Started at West 56th Street and Broadway in Manhattan, proceeded to the United Nations headquarters for a rally
NYPIRG marched to end fossil fuels!
With wildfire smoke choking the air that we breathe, hurricanes and floods threatening our homes, and toxic pollution making us sick, it has never been more urgent to end our dependence on the leading cause of these crises – fossil fuels.
In New York this September, the United Nations gathered world leaders for a first-of-its-kind Climate Ambition Summit to demand that nations stop developing new oil, gas, and coal projects and phase out fossil fuels once and for all. With his recent approvals for mega-polluting fossil fuel projects, President Biden must immediately reverse course to earn his seat at the table. But it will take all of us acting together to make sure that he does!
Thank you for your help! |
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