Environmental Health and Justice Leadership Training for Adults Starts May 18

Our Environmental Health and Justice Leadership Training program (EHJLT) for adults is starting May 18 and is back in-person! These courses are designed to teach you about environmental justice issues and prepare you to advocate for your community. 

There are no prerequisites for these courses, and they are open to anyone 15 and older. There is no cost, either, though we encourage you to make a donation to help us continue the program and give others the same opportunity. And we ask that if you do sign up, you honor your commitment to attend all the sessions because space is limited and demand is high!

Get Prepared for Climate Emergencies in This Summer

The climate crisis is increasing extreme weather events, and in the effort to create a comprehensive community driven emergency preparedness plan that focuses on climate related disasters, WE ACT partnered with East Harlem COAD and Harlem Emergency Network to create the Climate Ready Uptown Plan (CRUP).

CRUP is a physical pamphlet that helps Northern Manhattan community members understand their individual risk to climate related disasters – specifically extreme heat and flooding. Throughout this summer, we are partnering with community organizations across Northern Manhattan to host workshops related to emergency preparedness. In this two-hour workshop, WE ACT will distribute the CRUP pamphlet to attendees and engage participants in the basics of how to use and personalize their version of CRUP. 

Join our first workshop on Thursday, May 18th at 4pm at 71 East 111th Street (between Madison and Park) in partnership with East Harlem COAD and Harlem Emergency Network. Food and drinks will be provided. This workshop will be offered in English and Spanish. 

Tomorrow: City Council District 9 Candidates Forum

The New York Primary Election is June 27 and one of the most hotly contested seats this year is in Harlem. The District 9 race for New York City Council is heating up, and for our May Membership Meeting, we are hosting a forum to hear from four of the candidates in this race (Inez Dickens, Kristin Richardson Jordan, Yusef Salaam, and Al Taylor) on what they plan to do for Harlem and for environmental justice. Join us Saturday, May 13 at Twenty-first Century Academy for Community Leadership at 501 West 152nd Street on Saturday, May 13 from 10 am - 1 pm. 

Can Zoning Help NYC Reach Carbon Neutrality?

Join the New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) for a panel discussion, including Annie Carforo, on New York City's City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality proposal on Tuesday, May 16 from 8:30 - 10 am at the AIA Center for Architecture, 536 Laguardia Place at NYU.

The NYC Department of City Planning has identified ways in which the City's zoning regulations could be modernized to further support the City's ambitious climate goals. This discussion will bring together panelists to focus on the City's efforts to update its Zoning Resolution to meet our City and State's carbon emissions goals.

Making the Case for the NY HEAT Act

Sonal Jessel and New York State Assembly Member Karines Reyes co-authored an Op-Ed in City Limits making the case for passage of the NY HEAT Act. It's part of an active campaign we have been pursuing as part of the Better Buildings New York coalition to get the bill passed, including a press conference earlier today in which WE ACT Member Ruth McDaniels spoke about the rising cost of energy and the undue burden it has placed on many families in our community.

The NY HEAT Act would cap energy bills at 6 percent of household income for low- and middle-income families, saving them $75 per month on average. Low-income New Yorkers spend a disproportionate amount of their household income - as much as three times more - on their energy bill.

Beauty Inside Out May Meeting

Join WE ACT's Beauty Inside Out campaign for our next monthly group meeting open to everyone on Wednesday, May 16 from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. This month, we'll have a special beauty justice presentation from Barella Roberson from BLK Alchemy. We'll also do a deep dive into what our current toxins regulations in the US actually look like (including what they do and do not accomplish), as well as where we stand with recent wins and what more needs to be done in our fight to get toxins out of our products.

Join the Climate Justice Working Group

The Climate Justice Working Group (CJWG) is made up of WE ACT members working together to implement climate change solutions while building community leadership in support of climate justice in Manhattan and beyond. The next meeting is Tuesday, May 16th from 6 - 7:30 pm.

Listen to Uptown Chats Podcast on Environmental Justice

Looking for that new hot, informative, and interesting podcast to add to your docket? Look no further than Uptown Chats, WE ACT's new podcast! Join Lonnie and Jaron and their expert guests for an enlightening conversation on all things environmental justice. New episodes are released on the last Monday of each month!