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Latest News Out of New York State

Good news! Two New York State bills we have been working on as part of the JustGreen Partnership coalition have seen movement, and we continue to push for a third:
* The Lead Pipes Right to Know Act has passed both the Senate and Assembly, which is a big win. We now just need Governor Hochul to sign it. It will make information about the location of lead water pipes available to the public, which is necessary so that we can secure funding to remove them.
* The PFAS in Menstrual Products bill passed the Senate, so now we are trying to get it through the Assembly. Given all the work we’ve done to get PFAS ([link removed]) out of everyday stuff, you may know that this is a chemical you do not want in your menstrual products. You can help by t ([link removed]) elling the State Assembly ([link removed]) to pass the PFAS in Menstrual Products Bill.
* NY HEAT Update: We held an emergency rally with our Better Buildings New York coalition today, calling on Governor Hochul and the Assembly to pass the NY HEAT Act before the end of the legislative session next week. The bill will save low- and middle-income households an average of $75 per month on their energy bills. You can help by using this tool to email and call ([link removed]) your state legislators and leadership to urge them to pass the NY HEAT Act.

Many thanks to all of our members who have been helping us on these bills!

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Latest News Out of Washington, DC

Unfortunately, the news on the federal front is not good. Congress passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which is what they are now calling the dirty debt ceiling deal. Our biggest concerns in the bill were provisions that undermine the National Environmental Policy Act and dismissed all opposition to the Mountain Valley Pipeline, and the final bill passed with these provisions still in it.

However, even though the bill passed and President Biden is expected to sign it, we put up one hell of a fight – leading the charge and making our concerns known to all. In fact, as Dana Johnson reminded us all this morning, we helped kill this dirty permitting deal three times before. And if it wasn’t cruelly used as a bargaining chip in the debt ceiling negotiations, we’re confident we would have crushed it a fourth time.

If you haven’t already, please take a moment to read the letter we and our allies sent to President Biden ([link removed]) during the negotiations. You can also read some of the coverage we generated by scrolling down below. We would like to thank all of our members who helped us in this fight. And we would also like to thank Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore) who answered our call to introduce amendments ([link removed]) before the Senate vote last night. Together, we will find another way to win!

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Peggy Shepard to Receive CARB’s Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award

In more uplifting news, later this month Peggy Shepard will be receiving the California Air Resources Board’s Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award, the state’s premier annual award that recognizes leaders “who have made transformative contributions toward improving air quality or addressing climate change.” The event will be livestreamed ([link removed]) at 4:30 pm on June 22, and you can learn more here ([link removed]) .

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Healthy Homes Working Group: The Problem with Pesticides!

Nobody likes pests – especially in their homes. But how do we get rid of them without exposing ourselves to harmful chemicals? Come to the next Healthy Homes Working Group Meeting ([link removed]) on June 6 at 6 pm for a discussion on how to get rid of pests in your home while protecting yourself from hazardous chemicals. Make sure to register and invite a friend! The meeting will be hybrid with options to attend online or in-person at our office at 1854 Amsterdam Avenue, 2nd Floor, at the corner of 152nd Street.

RSVP Here ([link removed])
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Upcoming Free Green Institute Trainings

WE ACT's new Green Institute will be conducting several free trainings in June for OSHA/SST and Flagger/Scaffolding certification to prepare community members for work in the construction and green industry. All applicants are required to attend an online orientation session on June 7 at 3 pm before starting the trainings. The courses are open to everyone aged 18-years and older, regardless of background. All applicants will undergo interviews, evaluations, and a screening/selection process.
Apply Here ([link removed])
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Listen to the Latest Uptown Chats Podcast: Workforce Development

Why is workforce development an essential ingredient for environmental justice? Listen to the latest episode ([link removed]) of our Uptown Chats podcast as Lonnie & Jaron talk with our Director of Workforce Development Charles Callaway.
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Rally for the Zero Waste Act

Join us on Thursday, June 8 at 10 am in City Hall Park to rally for the Zero Waste Act ([link removed]) , which the City Council will (finally!) be voting on. The Zero Waste Act – which includes Intros 244, 275, 274, 280, and 281 – will task New York with meeting a citywide waste diversion goal by 2030 including:
* Tracking they city's progress toward sending zero waste to landfills by 2030
* Establishing at least one community recycling center and at least three organics drop-off sites in each district.
* Creating a citywide curbside organics/composting collection program for residential buildings.

The vote will be held that afternoon on June 8, so it's important that we make as much noise as possible to make sure it passes. In addition to the rally, you can attend the vote in-person at 1 pm or watch online ([link removed]) .
RSVP ([link removed])
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Art Action to Stop Gas Infrastructure

Annie Carforo will be speaking at Too Hot! Too High! a teach-In & art action to stop National Grid & Con Ed from expanding gas pipelines – which they are making us pay for! Come learn about what we are doing to stop the expansion of natural gas infrastructure and how you get involved. Join us for the teach-in in front of Brooklyn’s Borough Hall (209 Joralemon Street in Brooklyn) at 5:30 pm on Thursday, June 8. Afterward, we’ll head over to National Grid’s office to demonstrate what we learned with a non-violent direct art action.
RSVP ([link removed])
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Come Learn About Emergency Preparedness & the June Primary Election

Join us on Saturday, June 10 for our June Membership Meeting. Annie Carforo will kick things off with a look at our new but already award-winning Climate Ready Uptown Plan (CRUP) ([link removed]) , a comprehensive community-driven emergency preparedness plan for Northern Manhattan that focuses on climate-related disasters. Then, Pamela Stewart-Martinez will provide an overview of the upcoming primary election and the role of the Campaign Finance Board. This meeting will be in-person, back at the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge (454 West 155th Street, between St. Nicholas & Amsterdam Avenues) from 10 am to 12 pm.
RSVP ([link removed])
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Charles Callaway on Expanding Equitable Access to Solar Paneling

On June 20, Charles Callaway will be on a panel at the New York Solar Energy Industries Association’s 2023 New York City Solar & Storage Summit discussing how to ensure equitable access to solar energy, jobs, and cost savings.
Register to Attend ([link removed])
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Join Our NYCHA Working Group

Join WE ACT for our next NYCHA Working Group meeting on June 27 at 6 pm. This will be an in-person meeting, and we encourage you to join us at the WE ACT Office (1854 Amsterdam Ave, at 152nd Street)
to learn about our NYCHA Healthy Homes Platform, what our NYCHA Working Group will be working on for the rest of the year, and how to prepare your family for extreme heat and flooding in Northern Manhattan.
Register to Attend ([link removed])

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* Climate Burnout: Listen to Rev. Yearwood and Tamara Toles O'Laughlin interview Peggy Shepard for The Coolest Show podcast ([link removed]) . As they look at climate burnout and ways to make our movement more sustainable, they ask Peggy how she’s managed to keep fresh after more than 35 years in the fight.
* Debt Ceiling Deal: Peggy Shepard and Dana Johnson were quoted often this week, expressing our displeasure with the inclusion of provisions in the debt ceiling deal that would harm environmental justice communities for decades to come. This includes the American Prospect ([link removed]) , E&E News ([link removed]) , the Grio ([link removed]) , and Yahoo News ([link removed]) .
* Biden and Climate Justice: Peggy Shepard was featured in a Yale Climate Connections ([link removed]) report card on the Biden administration’s climate justice efforts. It should be noted that this interview was conducted before the administration bargained away NEPA and the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
* Reproductive Justice: Micaela Martinez was featured in the 19th’s article ([link removed]) about the call for the EPA to get involved in reproductive justice, noting that the environmental justice and reproductive justice have been siloed for far too long.

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Join the WE ACT Team

Our staff continues to expand! We have a number of new positions that are now open for application:
* Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center Director:
+ Based in our New York City office.
+ The job description can be downloaded here (PDF) ([link removed]) .
* Individual Giving Manager
+ Based in our New York City office.
+ The job description can be downloaded here (PDF) ([link removed]) .
* Legislative Coordinator
+ Based in our Washington, DC office.
+ The job description can be downloaded here ([link removed]) (PDF) ([link removed]) .

More Job Openings Here ([link removed])

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