The Brian Lehrer Show Brian Lehrer Weekend: The Gov & the Climate Law; DHS Camps; Opera & Society
Mar 21, 2026
Martha C. Nussbaum, University of Chicago professor of law and ethics who writes on philosophy and political thought, discusses opera, love and political freedom. Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker staff writer who covers immigration, reports on expanding detention, conditions and policy shifts. John Campbell, Albany reporter covering state politics, analyzes New York’s climate law, costs and political trade-offs.
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New York Is Far Behind Its 2019 Climate Targets
- New York's 2019 climate law mandates 40% emissions cuts by 2030 and 85% by 2050 across the economy.
- John Campbell reports the state is ~9% down from 1990 and far behind, forcing hard infrastructure shifts like electrifying buildings and millions of EVs.
NYSERDA Memo Drives Debate Over Short Term Costs
- The Hochul administration used a NYSERDA memo modeling a cap-and-invest scenario to claim short-term consumer costs would spike, including $2,300 annual bills for some households.
- Environmentalists say the memo cherry-picks extreme assumptions and omits long-term benefits quantified in the state's scoping plan.
Engage Local Communities On Renewable Siting
- Listen to affected residents when designing renewable projects to avoid NIMBY backlash and protect farmland and pollinators.
- Caller Nick described building an all-electric house but then facing much higher energy bills and local solar farm concerns upstate.