December meeting: Celebrate and energize!
Thursday, Dec. 14, 7pm. Friends Meeting House, 110 Schermerhorn Street
Share some holiday spirit with 350Brooklyn! Our meeting will be in person at the Society of Friends Meeting House at 110 Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn. We’ll share light refreshments, sing some climate songs, have fun with a climate-themed pub quiz, and enjoy a short film about 350Brooklyn’s accomplishments in 2023. 350Bk tee shirts will be for sale, too. Let's relax and enjoy each other's company as we gear up for the new year. No registration needed--just come! All are welcome. Please test for Covid pre-gathering.
Donate at the December meeting and get a 350Brooklyn t-shirt
100% cotton and made in the US, these soft t-shirts show off your climate cred. The back says, "A Better World Is Possible" with a bee and wind turbine. Designed by 350Brooklyn member Danica Novogorodoff, they will be available for a $25 donation. Can't make it to the meeting but want a tee-shirt? Email info@350Brooklyn.
Stop fossil fuel infrastructure buildout: your testimony is needed!
The Public Doesn't Want it! reported Brooklyn Paper on the lively resistance the Public Service Commission found at the 11/14th Rate Case Hearing at Brooklyn Public Library. National Grid is again asking the public to foot the bill (to raise more than $3 Billion) to repair and build new LNG infrastructure, deepening our long term commitment to poisonous fracked gas, and making it impossible to reach our climate goals. PvFF/350BK is supporting the No North Brooklyn Pipeline coalition which is leading this fight: please sign the petition where you will find all the background information you need to send a comment. Your comment makes a difference!
January 23: save the date and RSVP for the NY HEAT Act rally and lobby day in Albany
Join our friends and allies in Albany for a rally and lobby day for the NY HEAT Act on January 23. Passing this bill is fundamental to New York's ability to enact a safe and affordable transition off of gas in buildings as is laid out in the state's Climate Action Plan. We hope to see you there! Lunch and bus transportation will be provided for those who RSVP.
"Skip the wrap" this holiday season and think "outside the box"
This holiday season, think outside the box and fashion your own ingenuitive gift wrap. You can hit up a vintage store for scarves, dish towels, canvas paintings, or old totes, or use "found paper" to use as gift wrap (think sheet music, maps, newspapers, craft paper bags or kids' artwork). Want to decorate your found papers to make them more festive? You can use decorative Washi paper tape or create a lively design with a homemade potato stamp. Need a bow? Tie a pine cone to your package with some yarn, raffia, or twine. And don't forget the "reuse" part of the reduce, reuse, recycle—you can opt to keep old wrapping paper and gift bags and use them again the following year. Research or invent your own sustainable holiday traditions!
Faith Groups and the Climate Movement
In this month's episode, we’re honored to have Fletcher Harper, an Episcopal priest and the driving force behind GreenFaith, a global multi-faith organization dedicated to environmental and climate justice. Fletcher shares insights from his role as the executive director and delves into the principles outlined in his book, ‘GreenFaith: Mobilizing God’s People to Save the Earth.’ Get ready for a thought-provoking discussion on the intersection of faith, environmentalism, and the collective responsibility we all share in protecting our planet. Let’s jump in!
Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn. Photo: Elias Bukai-Leite
What climate change looks like through the lens of a NYC high school student
Parts Per Million is pleased to feature Facing Change, a careful, observant photo essay from local 11th grader, Elias Bukai-Leite. Facing Change documents the effects of our changing climate – and solutions – around the five boroughs of NYC. Elias writes: "As an avid snorkeler, scuba diver, fisherman, and overall lover of nature, I have been passionate about the natural world around me for as long as I can remember. Caring for the earth’s ecosystems is a significant part of my identity, a reason that I can’t bear to witness the damage we cause to it. I created Facing Change as a wake up call for my community, hoping to show New Yorkers that climate change is an issue closer to home than we may realize." Check out the collection and be inspired!
Plastic free wants you!
The Skip-the-cup campaign is looking for 350 Bk members to help do cafe crawls. We are partnering with other local organizations like Beyond Plastics Brooklyn and national groups like US Reduces to ask cafes to implement strategies that encourage customers to bring their own cup, or use the ceramic to stay cups that a majority of cafes have but don’t use. When you use disposable coffee cups you are adding to the landfill and releasing millions of microplastics into the environment as well as ingesting these cancer causing particles. So skip-the-cup or use ceramic! And get others to do the same! Shown here is a group at Root Hill Cafe in Gowanus. Want to join us? Email [email protected].
Join the Power Hour team - drop in, take action!
Thank you to all the Power Hour participants who made 2023 such a great year. Your advocacy helped secure major victories like the All-Electric Building Act - the nation’s first statewide ban on fossil fuels in new buildings. To everyone who made a phone call, sent a personalized email to a legislator, wrote testimony, or spoke at a hearing - on any of our campaigns - thank you! We can’t wait to see you all again in 2024 with some new faces too, starting on January 8th - the first Power Hour of the new year! Sign up for zoom, and get our weekly agenda.
FROM OUR FRIENDS AND ALLIES
Learn more about the NY HEAT Act with New Yorkers for Clean Power!
December 15 at noon
If you can't wait to learn more of the wonky details of the NY HEAT Act (Home Energy Affordable Transition), please join this teach-in hosted by New Yorkers for Clean Power. The NY HEAT Act is a transformative piece of climate and energy affordability legislation that will amend NY's Public Utility Law and establish badly-needed energy affordability protection for low- to moderate-income New Yorkers. Join us on December 15 at noon to learn how this legislation functions and what you can do to help get it passed in the upcoming legislative session.
New York State rejects Army Corps of Engineers storm surge plan
Our friends at Riverkeeper and other environmental groups are celebrating the state's decision to scrap the US Army Corps of Engineers' plan to spend $52.6 billion building massive sea walls and gates to protect the city from Sandy-level storm surges. Critics argued that the plan ignored other climate-caused sources of flooding, including rising rivers, groundwater, tides and heavy rainstorms. After a tsunami of protest, the state has directed the Corps to perform a "multi-hazard" assessment and a supplemental environmental impact statement for public review before any plan can go forward.
New York City Labor Chorus sings "Life on Earth: So Amazing!"
These new lyrics turn the Hallelujah chorus into a call for peace and a celebration of "all the creatures of the earth, and of the sea, and of the sky" Sung by the New York City Labor Chorus, with views of Earth courtesy of NASA. Enjoy, and have a happy holiday season!
Get involved in one of our workgroups!
350Brooklyn is volunteer-powered. At the heart of these efforts are our campaigns and committees. Follow the links below for more information on how to join.
City Action Committee works to make our city a leader in setting and implementing climate policies that improve life for all NYC residents, especially frontline communities. Our current campaigns include zero-waste legislation, green transportation, healthy buildings, and renewable energy. You can join us weekly online for Power Hour, where we call, tweet, submit testimony, and email our legislators to push for specific climate legislation and action. Evening Power Hours are all about learning, writing, and advocating.
Use this google form to connect with City Action.
Climate Check Stories and Solutions is 350Brooklyn’s podcast. Each monthly episode breaks down the climate crisis through conversations with local climate activists and community organizers. We discuss individual climate stories and pinpoint policies and local actions that can lead us to a healthier climate and a more just society—from fighting pipelines to working with nature and everything in-between. Email us at [email protected].
The Climate Idea Exchange works to deepen public understanding of the climate crisis, breaking it down into manageable topics and offering resources for local action. We work both independently and in collaboration with Brooklyn Public Library. A current project is Climate Chat: A Chance to Connect, a group conversation designed for turning our grief, anger, and fears about the climate crisis into a source of action and joy. Contact us at [email protected].
350BK Families is part of the Climate Families NYC coalition which aims to make climate activism accessible to parents and families. Our activities bring children, youth, and their adults together to fight for a livable future in age appropriate ways. Email us at [email protected].
Legislation focuses on passing significant climate legislation in Albany and in Washington. We develop relationships with local officials, research key issues, and participate in tactics like rallies and phone relays. email [email protected].
The Media Committee is 350Brooklyn's all-around in-house media team. We write copy, design graphics, run 350BK's social media channels and website, edit our biweekly community newsletter, and oversee creative initiatives like the new 350Brooklyn e-magazine Parts Per Million. Get in touch at [email protected].
People vs. Fossil Fuels/350BK is an action focused-group that works with the national PvFF coalition calling on President Biden to declare a climate emergency, stop approving fossil fuel leases and exports, and support the work of frontline communities across the country. Join us to have fun while we fight the black snake! Learn about the national coalition: peoplevsfossilfuels.org. Email: [email protected]
Plastic Free works to eliminate plastic pollution and reduce reliance on single-use plastic products. We meet monthly via Zoom, and work on a variety of projects including legislative lobbying efforts, campaigns promoting going plastic free, and neighborhood efforts to reduce waste. Email us at [email protected].
No time but able to donate? While we are an affiliate of 350.org, we are programmatically independent and our financial support comes solely from our members. Can you offer financial support, at any level? Donate here.
