Join District Attorney Alvin Bragg at Our October Membership Meeting
Have you met New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg? He will be joining us for our October Membership Meeting, talking about the work his office is doing on environmental issues. Be sure to join us in-person on Saturday, October 14 from 10 am - 1 pm at the New Heights Academy Charter School. We will also have staff from New York City Comptroller Brad Lander’s office giving us a presentation on the City’s Climate Dashboard, which tracks the progress toward meeting its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. With key metrics on the City’s energy transition, emissions, and resiliency infrastructure, the new maps on this dashboard track the City’s air, water, and land quality levels for more in-depth analysis of environmental justice impacts by neighborhood.
WE ACT and its partners – NYSERDA, Pratt Center, Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development, Kinetic Communities Consulting, USL Technology Inc, and Green City Force – have officially launched the Manhattan Clean Energy Hub!
This virtual resource, available at ManhattanCleanEnergy.org, is part of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Regional Clean Energy Hubs, which are designed to assist in and support New York State’s transition from an economy powered by fossil fuels to an inclusive economy that is run on clean, green, renewable energy – and create thousands of good, green jobs in the process. Our Clean Energy Hub will help Manhattan residents, community organizations, and small businesses access and navigate – free of charge – the many opportunities created by this transition, including clean energy careers, renewable energy installations, energy efficiency improvements, and transportation alternatives.
The Team Up to Clean Up community cleaning effort around West Harlem has been moved to Sunday, October 8 due to weather. WE ACT is joining forces with community leaders, local businesses, community-based organizations, and block associations to tackle trash in West Harlem and beyond. Supplies will be provided!
On Thursday, October 11, New York City Council will hold a joint hearing between the Parks Committee and the Environmental Protection Committee on New York City's resiliency efforts. We know that our city parks and green spaces are critical to helping our city deal with heat and floods. Join WE ACT at the Play Fair NYC Rally from 12 - 1 pm ahead of the hearing, where we will be calling for a fully funded NYC Parks Department budget in Fiscal Year 2025.
Introducing a New Resource For Environmental Justice Funding
Do you want to learn how to access and pursue environmental justice funding opportunities, ranging from federal environmental health grants to state workforce development programs and private foundation grants? We can help! Join WE ACT and our partners via Zoom on Monday, October 30 at 5:30 pm as we launch the New Jersey-New York Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC). The New Jersey-New York TCTAC is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy to provide training and other assistance to build capacity for navigating federal grant application systems, writing strong grant proposals, and effectively managing grant funding.
Pamela Stewart-Martinez to Talk at the NAACP New York State Conference
Pamela Stewart-Martinez will be speaking about environmental justice, the work we are doing, and the importance of voting on Saturday, October 7 at the87th annual NAACP New York State Conference Convention on Long Island.
Dr. Micaela Martinez to Talk at MCNY's Black Maternal Health Fair
Dr. Micaela Martinez will be making a presentation about beauty justice and tabling at the Metropolitan College of New York's Black Maternal Health Initiative Community Health Fair in the Bronx on Saturday, October 7.
Peggy Shepard to Give Keynote Address at WRISE
Peggy Shepard will be giving a keynote address on October 12 at the Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy annualLeadership Forum in Minneapolis, discussing climate justice and the need to pursue solutions with an environmental justice lens. There are options to attend virtually!
We Still Have a Few Tickets Left for Our 35th Anniversary Gala!
We are less than two weeks away from our 35th Anniversary Gala and we still have a few tickets left! Join us on Wednesday, October 18 from 6 - 9 pm at Columbia University’s Alfred Lerner Hall at 2920 Broadway (between 114th & 115th Streets) in Harlem to celebrate 35 years of WE ACT's fight for environmental justice. We'll hear from Former Vice President Al Gore, our 35th Anniversary Gala Special Guest Speaker and this year’s honorees: Richard Moore, Co-Founder & Co-Coordinator, Los Jardines Institute (Albuquerque, NM); Joshua Klainberg, Senior Vice President, New York League of Conservation Voters (New York, NY); and Donele Wilkins, President & CEO, Green Door Initiative (Detroit, MI). Don’t miss out - reserve your seat today!
Celebrate the annual City of Forest Day on Saturday, October 14. City of Forest Day is an annual day of activities across the city to raise awareness of the importance of the New York City urban forest and the essential role New Yorkers play every day in caring for the “lungs” of our city. From tree planting, to composting, to raising public awareness, there is a plethora of activities happening in every borough including several in Northern Manhattan!
Pollution Report: The release of our report with the Sierra Club and Physicians for Social Responsibility on the impact of buildings on outdoor air pollution was shared by the Public News Service. You can download a copy of the report here.
Manhattan Clean Energy Hub:Harlem World featured the launch of our Manhattan Clean Energy Hub, which can help Manhattan residents, community organizations, and small businesses access and navigate – free of charge – the many opportunities created by this transition, including clean energy careers, renewable energy installations, energy efficiency improvements, and transportation alternatives.
NY Home Energy Assistance Program: Briana Carbajal was quoted in coverage about the availability of New York State's home energy assistance programs, which appeared in the New York Amsterdam News, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, and Niagara-Gazette. You can learn more about the programs and apply here.
NY HEAT Act: As part of the Better Buildings NY coalition, WE ACT called for passage of the NY HEAT Act in the wake of the recent flooding, with coverage - including a quote from Sonal Jessel - appearing in WXXI, WSKG, and WMHT.
EPA Cumulative Risk Assessment: Our response to the EPA's Cumulative Risk Assessment (CRA) was noted by JD Supra, in which we made the case that "establishing a 'concrete framework' to establish CRA at the federal level is fundamental to protecting vulnerable communities and that there is a need to move toward a CRA process which can combine qualitative and quantitative approaches – as has happened in states like California, New Jersey, and Minnesota – can be used to generate a 'useful, practical framework.'”
Check Out Peggy Shepard on Healthy Nations, Healthy Homes Podcast
Peggy Shepard was a guest speaker on a the latest episode of Healthy Nation, Healthy Homes podcast lending an environmental justice perspective on the health outcomes of neighborhood structures.
Let's Talk About Asthma
In case you missed our last membership meeting, we started a dialogue about asthma and its impact on our community. We are developing a Unified Asthma Policy Agenda that addresses housing, transportation, workers, land use, healthcare, climate, education, and more with asthma in mind - and we would like your help! Do you or someone you know have asthma? Do you have any thoughts about where we can take our work? We would love to interview you about your experience, your challenges, and your ideas to learn how we can better advocate for policies that impact your health.Click here and our team will reach out to you!
You Might Be Eligible to Save Money on Your Utility Bills
The New York State Energy Affordability Program / Low-Income Bill Discount Program provides income-eligible consumers with a discount on their monthly electric and/or gas bills, as well as other benefits, depending on your particular utility’s program. Find out if you qualify and how this program can save you money on your energy bills.
Share Your Personal Experience with Energy and Utilities in New York
Energy Allies is seeking community insight from average New Yorkers about their experience with the state's energy system. The information collected from this survey will be instrumental in tailoring a specialized energy justice training program for New York, addressing knowledge gaps, and fostering increased community engagement within the energy sector. Plus, everyone who completes the survey will entered to win $50!
New Uptown Chats Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
The new episode of Uptown Chats podcast is out! This month, Lonnie and Jaron are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and discussing environmental justice in the Hispanic community with special guests City Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa, Marileidy Pimentel, WE ACT's Bilingual Community Organizer, and Manny Salgado, WE ACT's Environmental Justice Research Analyst. Follow Uptown Chats on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or stream directly from Castos.
Briana Carbajal to Be Honored as a Mentor of the Year and Next Gen Leader
Step Up, a mentorship organization that guides girls (and those who identify with girlhood) to success, will be honoring Briana Carbajal at the upcoming Inspiration Awards for serving as a role model in defining and pursuing success as demonstrated through impactful work, journey, and character. Congratulations Briana!
