How New York’s $75 Billion Climate Superfund Will Work
And why other states might soon follow suit
Interview by Aynsley O’Neill, Living on Earth,
One of the most destructive consequences of a warming planet is the increased moisture a warmer atmosphere can hold, leading to extreme floods like those that hit New York in September 2024. As the climate crisis intensifies, extreme events like these are expected to become more frequent, at a huge cleanup cost to governments.
To help cover this rising bill, New York State has passed a new “Climate Change Superfund Law” that asks major fossil fuel companies to pay up, based on their historic sales of coal, gas and oil.
Anne Louise Rabe is the former environmental policy director at NY-PIRG, the New York Public Interest Research Group. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.