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Events & Activities

When: 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Where: The New York Society for Ethical Culture (2 West 64th Street, New York, NY 10023)

We met the candidates running for New York City mayor!

Staff and students from across the city represented NYPIRG at our New York City Mayoral Candidate Forum, where attendees heard from five candidates for mayor (Scott Stringer, Jessica Ramos, Zellnor Myrie, Zohran Mamdani, and Brad Lander) who all answered questions on climate, jobs, and justice issues, such as reducing pollution, improving mass transit, and working to protect New Yorkers from the worst effects of climate change. With the federal administration in the pocket of the oil and gas companies, it is more important than ever for our top local elected officials to take major action!

When: 10:30 AM to 4 PM
Where: Albany

Pass the NY HEAT Act!

NYPIRG, Renewable Heat Now, and allied groups called on the New York State Legislature to pass the NY HEAT Act in the budget for cleaner heat and lower bills! We told our reps that climate action and energy affordability cannot wait.

When: 9 AM to 4:30 PM
Where: New York State Capitol in Albany

200+ advocates from across New York State met to advocate for the Bigger Better Bottle Bill and the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, having meetings with 80+ lawmakers to urge them to support the bills. The day kicked off with a rally on the Million Dollar Staircase, featuring faith leaders who made the case for why urgent action on reducing plastic and packaging pollution is vital for our future.

Also, check out NYPIRG's analysis which shows that modernization of New York's Bottle Deposit Law would generate nearly $100 million more than it does now in the first year of implementation, revenues that can be used to invest in the state’s flagging recycling efforts and to improve its administration.

When: 12:30 PM
Where: City Hall in Manhattan

Despite frigid temperatures, NYPIRG gathered with fellow environmental activists to demand that New York City councilmembers protect Local Law 97!

With the nation-leading climate law under attack, it is more important than ever to ensure full implementation of our green new deal for buildings — the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in New York City. LL97 is already creating thousands of new jobs, lowering our utility bills, and improving the air that we breathe.

When: 12 to 1 PM
Where: Governor Hochul's New York City Office (919 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022)

Now is the time to MAKE POLLUTERS PAY!

NYPIRG and our allies rallied outside of Governor Hochul's New York City office and urged her to sign the Climate Change Superfund Act to protect New York taxpayers by making the world's biggest, richest oil companies pay their fair share for climate-related damages.

When: All day
Where: New York State Capitol in Albany

Now is the time to MAKE POLLUTERS PAY!

NYPIRG and our coalition partners rallied to urge Governor Hochul to sign the Climate Change Superfund Act to make Big Oil — not New York taxpayers — pay for climate-related damages.

When: Times vary by location
Where: Locations across New York State

At events across the state (Buffalo, Albany, and Kingston pictured). NYPIRG and the Renewable Heat Now! coalition pushed Governor Hochul to take bold and decisive action to protect New Yorkers from pro-fossil fuel mandates and high energy costs by passing the NY HEAT Act for cleaner heat and lower bills.

When: 11 AM
Where: Times Plaza in Brooklyn

We need faster buses on Flatbush Avenue!

NYPIRG's Straphangers Campaign and our partners have been collecting community and business surveys on rider challenges in the Flatbush Avenue corridor, and we released the results at a news conference. In alarming (yet unsurprising) results, the survey found that one in three riders have lost pay, been reprimanded, and/or been fired due to a late bus on Flatbush Avenue.

Watch Kaylee Evans, Chairperson of NYPIRG's Student Board of Directors and former Donald K. Ross Future Leaders Program intern, discuss her rewarding experience with this innovative program. Then support NYPIRG to help us honor Donald's legacy of work and create a pipeline of well-trained civic leaders that will bolster American democracy!

Thank you!
When: Rolling start times between 12 and 3 PM
Where: Multiple locations in Brooklyn along the Flatbush Avenue bus route
Students, transportation advocates, and local elected officials went on a relay hike through Brooklyn for improved bus service along the Flatbush Avenue corridor.

Bus riders deserve faster, reliable, and accessible bus service. Flatbush Avenue is a critical cross-borough transportation route that students, shoppers, and workers use every day. Data from 2019 shows that Flatbush Avenue also serves 118,000 average daily bus riders on 12 routes. The B41 bus alone services 22,500 average daily riders.

Bringing awareness to improving bus service on Flatbush Avenue could not be more important for students geting to class, families getting to work and recreation, and shoppers getting to their errands and home again. Check out our press release for more information.

When: 10 AM
Where: City Hall in Manhattan

NYPIRG and our coalition partners held a rally and lobby day in support of fully implementing New York City's Local Law 97!
Local Law 97 is already fulfilling its potential to create jobs, cut air pollution, and reduce energy bills — all while helping us meet our urgent climate goals — but a New York City Council bill has been introduced which could gut Local Law 97. We urged council members to oppose Intro 772, proposed legislation that would gut Local Law 97 by undermining enforcement of the law and effectively exempting thousands of large co-ops and condo buildings from its requirements.
 
When: 12 PM
Where: Outside of the governor's Manhattan office (633 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10016)

NYPIRG, our coalition partners, and author/environmentalist Bill McKibben delivered over 127,000 petition signatures to Governor Hochul urging her to sign the Climate Change Superfund Act into law to make Big Oil — not New York taxpayers — pay for climate damages!

When: 2 to 4 PM
Where: Coney Island in Brooklyn

NYPIRG students and staff had fun in the sun while cleaning up the beach. We collected over 1,500 pieces of trash, and our litter surveys will help with our advocacy for the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act and modernizing New York's Bottle Bill. 

When: 1 PM
Where: 219 McKibbin Street, Brooklyn, NY 11206

NYPIRG visited Sure We Can, a recycling center and sustainability hub in Brooklyn. Sure We Can aims to bring community members together through recycling, composting, gardening, and the arts. We took a tour of their facilities to learn about recycling and sustainability, and how students who would like more hands-on experiences can get involved with volunteer opportunities.

When: 6:30 PM
Where: The New York Society for Ethical Culture Concert Hall

It is time to hold our leaders accountable – in person!

Governor Hochul's cancellation of congestion pricing and the New York State Assembly's failure to pass vital bills are a climate disaster. To address this, NYPIRG and a broad coalition of organizations sponsored a town hall-style forum to question top elected leaders about the accelerating climate crisis, which was attended by hundreds of New Yorkers. Experts explained the issues, and then we put our questions to the state- and city-level officials in attendance.

When: 6 to 9 PM
Where: City Winery in Manhattan

NYPIRG IS 50 YEARS OLD!

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!
Lawmakers examine NY’s health care spending  (WAMC, February 10, 2025)
DEC approves expansions for Hudson Valley stations along Iroquois pipeline  (Albany Times-Union, February 8, 2025)
Governor approves air permit for Iroquois pipeline compressors in Athens and Dover  (Mid-Hudson News, February 7, 2025)
Sponsor of state Climate Change Superfund Act defends law against new suit  (Spectrum News, February 7, 2025)
New York State is One of the Country’s Least Politically Involved Areas As Voter Numbers Plummet  (WPDH, February 6, 2025)
New York voter participation hits lowest level since 2004, ranks 43rd nationally  (CBS News 6, February 3, 2025)
N.Y. Democrats 'pause' introduction of special election bill amid pushback  (Spectrum News, February 3, 2025)
Renewed push for Bigger Better Bottle Bill in NY  (ABC News 10, January 31, 2025)
Assemblymember Pamela Hunter discusses Speaker Pro Tempore role, impact for CNY constituents  (Spectrum News, January 31, 2025)
Expanding Bottle Bill could generate $100M for NY environmental programs  (WAER, January 30, 2025)
New York's budget process begins  (WAMC, January 27, 2025)
Environmental advocates recycle campaign against plastic packaging for new session  (City & State, January 28, 2025)
Advocates raise questions about state spending  (ABC News 10, January 22, 2025)
Will 2025 be the “affordability” session?  (WAMC, January, 13, 2025)
New York To Make Major Greenhouse Gas Emitters Pay for Past Pollution  (Next City, January 14, 2025)
New York Climate Superfund Becomes Law  (Inside Climate News, January 11, 2025)
Albany already revising new antipollution law after gas industry pushback  (Gothamist, January 9, 2025)
New York to make major greenhouse gas emitters pay for past pollution  (Canary Media, January 8, 2025)
New NYPIRG Executive Director Megan Ahearn discusses 2025 legislative priorities  (WAMC, January 8, 2025)
This week could have a big impact on New York  (WAMC, January 7, 2025)
News Archive
NEWS RELEASE: Governor Hochul and the Department of Environmental Conservation approved the Title V Air Permit application submitted by Iroquois ExC to expand the gas compressor stations in the Town of Athens and the Town of Dover, exposing Hudson Valley residents to increased air pollution and higher risks of gas line explosions.
Release: National data showing New York’s voter participation rate dropped to lowest level since 2004. New York ranked 43rd in the nation in terms of voter registration.
NYPIRG analysis released: Modernization of the state's Bottle Deposit Law would generate nearly $100 million more than it does now in the first year of implementation, revenues that can be used to invest in the state’s flagging recycling efforts and to improve its administration
NYPIRG Reacts to Executive Budget
The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) today announced that effective January 1, 2025, Megan Ahearn is its new Executive Director. Ms. Ahearn previously served as NYPIRG’s Program Director overseeing NYPIRG’s community and campus policy work. Ms. Ahearn succeeds Blair Horner and will be NYPIRG’s eighth Executive Director in its 50-plus year existence. Horner will remain on NYPIRG’s staff as its Senior Policy Advisor, primarily focusing on state government advocacy.
MAJOR VICTORY: Governor Hochul signs the Climate Change Superfund Act into law! This New York action moves the issue to the forefront in the nation to MAKE POLLUTERS PAY.

Governor Hochul and key members of the state’s legislative leadership announced an agreement to approve the Climate Change Superfund Act. New York will become the second state in the nation to hold the largest Big Oil companies accountable for costs resulting from the worsening climate catastrophe.
NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign Statement on MTA Decision to Approve Transit Fare Hike in 2025
NYPIRG joined elected officials and environmental advocates to rally for the Climate Change Superfund Act in the wake of unprecedented climate catastrophes in New York. Governor Hochul only has until the end of the year to sign legislation that makes polluters, not taxpayers, pay for climate disaster repairs and resilience.
After Relaunching Congestion Pricing, Signing the Climate Change Superfund Act Is Next on Gov’s To-Do List
NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign Statement on Governor Hochul's decision to implement Congestion Pricing
Press Release: Bus Riders March for Faster Buses on Flatbush Avenue; Call on Mayor and City to Get it Done
A coalition of civic organizations released a letter to the State Board of Elections identifying possible failures in state law mandating that colleges with dorms have polling places. The groups urged action to ensure compliance or to strengthen the law.
A coalition of civic, environmental, social justice, and community-based charities joined with small business “redemption centers” to call on Governor Hochul and the state legislative leaders “to urge your attention and immediate action to prevent business closings and job losses by supporting legislation to boost the ‘handling fee’ that provides revenues for redemption centers, which are critical to the success of the state’s Bottle Deposit Law.”
VICTORY! On Monday, June 17, a six-year fight for clean air and public health came to an end when Danskammer Energy withdrew its application to build a new fracked gas plant on the Hudson River in Newburgh, NY.
As a dangerous heat wave grips New York, sending "feels like" temperatures soaring above 100 degrees, community leaders, local officials, and extreme weather survivors are demanding Governor Hochul take immediate action by signing the recently passed Climate Change Superfund Act (S.2129B/A.3351B) into law.
Tale of the Tape: NYPIRG's 2024 Legislative Review – The number of bills that passed in the Senate increased, while that number decreased in the Assembly. The Governor's use of emergency "messages of necessity" flattens.
NY State Assembly Passes Historic Climate Superfund Bill to Make Polluters Pay for Climate Damages
NYPIRG's Statement on Governor Hochul's Delay of Congestion Pricing
A coalition supporting improvements to the state’s Bottle Deposit Law today released a listing of over 1,000 local charities that benefit from the law. The coalition argued that these charities offer services for those in need and that modernization of the forty-year-old law would enhance the charities’ services.
A coalition supporting improving the state’s Bottle Deposit Law today released a review of recent redemption center closures. The review, conducted by redemption centers, identified 97 businesses that have closed or appear to be closed. Another 54 redemption centers had disconnected phones and no obvious social media presence. The coalition argued that many of these closures are the direct result of New York's 15 year "freeze" of the handling fee that redemption centers rely on for revenues.
Reports & Features Archive