Summer BBQ This Saturday in Harlem!

Our annual summer BBQ is this Saturday! Join us for great food, great conversation, environmental justice games, music, prizes, and a special live (and spicy) event from Uptown Chats. We'll also be screening several movies including Man vs Earth and The Story of Stuff. Saturday, July 15 from 11 am - 4 pm at PS/IS 149 Sojourner Truth School on 41 West 117th Street (between Lenox & 5th Avenue). As always, the BBQ is free and open to everyone.

Peggy Shepard Will Be Celebrating City of Water Day in Morningside Park

Peggy will join the Friends of Morningside Park, the New York City Parks Department, and Columbia University for a special City of Water Day celebration at 11:30 am on Saturday in Morningside Park for an announcement about a research project to address the toxic algae in the pond and bring back the waterfall.

Another Important Step for Ending NYC's Lead Crisis

New York City Council passed an important bill this week to push us closer to ending lead exposure in the city. The new law mandates immediate action when chipped or peeling lead paint is found in the common areas of multifamily buildings, which is something we have been advocating for. Though New York City has had anti-lead legislation for decades, many loopholes exist, and the existing laws are rarely enforced. This bill is the first of a group of bills to pass the City Council that will enforce lead removal, and one that we have long championed. We're continuing to push City Council to pass the remaining bills to end further loopholes and stop lack enforcement.

Read this great op-ed by Councilmember Carlina Rivera and Sonal Jessel in CityLimits to learn more about what this means and what more needs to be done to prevent lead poisoning.

You May Be Eligible for Utility Debt Relief

We're bringing back our utility debt enrollment workshop! Join us July 19 at 6 pm for help enrolling in a state program that will provide certain utility customers who are eligible up to $4,750 to apply automatically toward any electric or gas bill debt owed up to May 1, 2022. 

Community Cooling Workshop

Are you prepared to deal with extreme heat? Join us for a community workshop to learn about the health risks of extreme heat, how to stay safe in scorching temperatures at home, and what policy solutions can better protect our neighborhoods including Codifying Cooling Centers, Maximum Indoor Temperature Limit, and the Urban Forest Master Plan. This will be an open conversation about how extreme heat impacts you, how you deal with it, and what resources are available to help. Wednesday, July 26, 6 - 7:30 pm at 454 West 155th Street. 

Join Us For Our Next Climate Ready Workshop at City College 

Are you prepared to deal with extreme weather events and climate change in your Uptown neighborhood? WE ACT has developed the Climate Readiness Uptown Plan (CRUP) to prepare residents for climate emergencies such as flooding and extreme heat. Join our upcoming workshops to learn more about CRUP and the steps you can take to get yourself and your community ready. 

• CRUP Workshop: City College
  • Tuesday, July 25 at 6 pm at City College North Academic Center (NAC) Ballroom (1st Floor) at 160 Convent Avenue (enter at West 138th Street)

National Action Network Forum on Environmental Justice

Upcoming Green Institute Courses

WE ACT's Green Institute is offering a free course to become trained in Building Electrification Electrical Systems: Lighting, HVAC & Refrigeration as well as training for career advancement and job placement. Becoming trained in building electrification gives you the necessary safety and skills training to land new jobs in the construction industry and become a part of the growing green revolution.

The course will be held September 18 - 29. There are 3 upcoming information sessions on July 26, August 10, and August 23 to learn more about the course and answer any questions you may have! If you are interested, fill out an application and you will be contacted about next steps for attending an information session and the training.

Demystifying Grassroots Work and Litigation

Are you an environmental lawyer, student, professor, or even just curious about using the law and litigation to advance environmental justice? Then come learn about grassroots organizing and advocacy without getting into the weeds! We are hosting an online panel discussion and networking event dedicated to fostering collaboration between grassroots environmental justice work and mainstream green law organizations. Join us Tuesday, August 8 from 3 - 5 pm.

• Extreme Heat Rally: Harlem World reported on our Extreme Heat Rally on Thursday.
• Fossil Fuel Shenanigans: In a Guardian article about the Climate Leadership Council, a DC nonprofit backed by the fossil fuel industry, Dana Johnson spoke about the need to hold industries accountable for climate change.
• Lead Bill: The recent passage by City Council of a bill to better protect New Yorkers against lead poisoning was covered in Harlem World.

Why Carbon Capture is Dangerous

Learn more about the dangers of Carbon Dioxide Waste Injection and false climate solutions like carbon capture from Monique Harden with Deep South Center for Environmental Justice and why these unproven technologies pose risks for environmental justice communities. Join the online webinar on Thursday, July 20 at 1 pm ET.

REPLAY: Emissions in the Kitchen

Check out the webinar we hosted with the Bicameral Electrification Caucus, in partnership with Rewiring America and Physicians for Social Responsibility, that discussed the public health risks from gas stove emissions and the economic benefits of transitioning from gas to electric. And be sure to check out our Out of Gas, In with Justice report on indoor air pollution from gas stove.

Listen to Uptown Chats Podcast 

Looking for a 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 enlivening conversation on all things environmental justice. Check out all the episodes, including the latest on extreme heat!