CBS Captures WE ACT Monitoring Air Quality Uptown

WE ACT was featured on CBS2 New York talking about our air monitoring work. Air monitoring is critical to understanding and addressing the higher rates of respiratory illness we experience in Northern Manhattan. Students from our Environmental Health and Leadership Justice Training (EHJLT) and from Riverside Park Conservancy got to learn first-hand about the importance of air quality and the nuances of measuring it. The students went around Northern Manhattan measuring air quality in real time and recording potential causes for pollution. They also learned about the Aclima air monitoring system, a mobile unit that the city is using to map air quality across all five boroughs. 

New Study Questions How Far Justice40 Can Go Without Factoring Race

WE ACT was featured prominently in a New York Times article about a new study that brings into serious question how far Justice40 funding can go to reduce the racial gap in exposure to pollution. The Biden administration created the Climate and Environmental Justice Screening Tool to determine who qualifies for Justice40 funding for environmental justice. However, they decided not include race as a measure out of fear of court challenges, even though race is the biggest factor in determining pollution inequity. The study, which Dana Johnson was one of the co-authors, showed that racial disparities in the exposure to and health impacts of air pollution will not be effectively addressed through the Screening Tool, which is why we need data, models, regulations, and enforcement that specifically focus on eliminating racial disparities.

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. 

Upcoming Climate Ready Workshops 

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)
• CRUP Workshop: Dyckman Senior Center
  • Tuesday, August 10 at 6 pm at Dyckman Senior Center at 3754 10th Avenue in Inwood

Join the NYCHA Working Group This Tuesday 

Join WE ACT's NYCHA Working Group Meeting on Tuesday, July 25 from 6 - 7:30 pm on Zoom. This month, the working group will be learning about our new NYCHA Healthy Homes Platform, the state of the NYCHA City & State Budget, and the newly announced demolition of the Fulton and Elliot-Chelsea Houses. The NYCHA working group meets monthly and is open to everyone! 

National Action Network Environmental Justice Forum

Peggy Shepard will join other expert speakers at Transforming Communities: Empowering Action for Environmental Justice hosted by the National Action Network. The forum will explore the intersection of criminal, racial, and environmental justice and highlight how communities of color are disproportionately affected by these issues. The forum will be in-person on July 29 from 12:30 - 2:30 pm at House of Justice at 106 West 145th Street in Harlem. You can register to attend the forum by calling 212-690-3070.

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.

• New Lead Laws: City Limits and the Gothamist quoted Lonnie Portis in their coverage of the passage of several bills by New York City Council that we have been advocating for and that will address lead exposure and prevent lead poisoning. 
• Smart Surfaces and Extreme Heat: Bloomberg mentioned WE ACT in a story about the growing Smart Surfaces Coalition (that WE ACT is a part of) which works to change street surfaces to reduce extreme heat, the deadliest impact of climate change.
• Lead Bill: Annie Carforo and Mychel Johnson from South Bronx Unite wrote an op-ed in City & State New York urging New York City to pass the Community Land Act, which would push the city to sell public land to non-profits and community trusts instead of for-profit developers.
• LIHEAP Funding Runs Dry...Again: Harlem World quoted the press release we sent out calling out the state for allowing critical LIHEAP funding, which helps low-income New Yorkers stay cool through dangerous summer heat, to run out halfway through the summer. This is the 2nd year in a row that this funding has disappeared before the end of the summer season.

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.

REPLAY: NY State Green Amendment

Check out the virtual workshop we hosted last week about New York State’s new Green Amendment which added environmental rights to the Bill of Rights in the State Constitution.

Apply to the EPA's New Youth Advisory Council

The National Environmental Youth Advisory Council (NEYAC) is an exciting new opportunity for young people between the ages of 16-29 who will provide advice and recommendations on environmental issues directly to the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). There will be an informational webinar on August 7 if you would like to learn more.

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!