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January Membership Meeting with Council Members Shaun Abreu & Carmen De La Rosa
January is just around the corner, and we are starting off the new year with a membership meeting you won’t want to miss. Join us on Saturday, January 13 at 10 am at 454 West 155th Street, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge. We have invited all of Northern Manhattan’s New York City Council Members to come and discuss environmental justice concerns in our community. District 7’s Shaun Abreu and District 10’s Carmen De La Rosa have already confirmed, and we hope you will too.
RSVP ([link removed])
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TAKE ACTION: Demand Sally Beauty Stop Selling Toxic Products to People of Color
A new report ([link removed]) has found high levels of formaldehyde in cosmetics and personal care products marketed to people of color and sold by Sally Beauty. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that can cause cancer as well as irritation to the eyes, throat, and lungs. Despite the known health harms from formaldehyde, companies like Sally Beauty continue to sell products that contain chemicals like formaldehyde.
Join us in calling on Sally Beauty CEO Denise Paulonis to create a safer chemical policy and ensure the public that the company will start to reduce and eliminate toxic chemicals from the products sold in their stores.
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TAKE ACTION: Speak Up Against the Mayor's Cuts to Composting and Parks
* GrowNYC Receives Donation but Community Composting Still Endangered: GrowNYC’s Compost Program has received a temporary lifeline in the form of a one-time gift from an anonymous donor helping to avert the elimination of the program due to the Mayor's budget cuts. This funding will allow GrowNYC’s Compost Program to operate through the end of June. However, the effort to save community composting is far from over. None of the community compost organizations should have to hope for anonymous donations to continue their work, especially with the City's $100+ billion budget and $8 billion in reserves. For context, the entire Community Composting budget is only $6 million. Sign the petition to demand community composting be fully funded! ([link removed])
* Mayor Moves to Slash Park's Budget: The NYC Parks budget has been underfunded for 40 years and now the Mayor is moving to cut the budget by as much as 15%. Write directly to the Mayor and your Council Member ([link removed]) to oppose these cuts and demand overdue investment in our parks and open spaces.
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TAKE ACTION: Demand the Mayor Follow the Law and Enforce the Renewable Rikers Act
Mayor Adams' administration has missed three important deadlines to enforce Local Law 16 of the Renewable Rikers Act ([link removed]) , a law we helped pass to shut down Rikers and convert the island into a renewable energy hub. With another deadline approaching on December 31st, we are pressuring the Adams administration to take action and actually make this critical law a reality.
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Panel: Building an Environmentally Equitable New Jersey
Dr. Micaela Martinez will moderate a panel on the Environmental Justice Law ([link removed]) , signed by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy in 2020, that made New Jersey the first state in the country with the ability to issue denials for new facilities with disproportionate impacts on “environmentally overburdened communities.” This law was the precursor to New York State’s Cumulative Impacts law, which we helped pass in 2023. The panel will explore if New Jersey’s legislation is sufficient to reverse the damage done to under-resourced communities and how much power it gives individuals to enforce environmental protections. The panel will be on Monday, December 18 at 7 pm on Zoom!
RSVP ([link removed])
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CRUP Serves as a Template for Equitable Resilience Planning
Annie Carforo talked about our Climate Ready Uptown Plan (CRUP) ([link removed]) at the River Network’s December 13 session on “how to engage and center the needs of the most vulnerable community members when developing climate resilience plans.” Watch the video replay here ([link removed]) . The River Network has been conducting a series of webinars on climate resilience and water equity since July. Check out all of the previous recordings ([link removed]) and register for the next webinar ([link removed]) about community-led environmental transformation through green jobs.
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Support WE ACT: Become an Environmental Justice Sustainer
A gift to WE ACT is an investment in a future where clean energy powers homes in communities that need it most, where vulnerable people are not harmed by toxic chemicals, and where green spaces are more accessible to low-income folks and communities of color. That’s why a generous WE ACT supporter is matching all donations made today through December 31. With just $50, $25, or even $10 a month, you can sustain WE ACT’s efforts all year round - and have your gift matched, doubling its impact. Will you chip in today and become an Environmental Justice Sustainer?
Donate Today ([link removed])
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* COP28: In case you missed our wrap-up of our work ([link removed]) at the United Nations Climate Conference, Harlem World shared the news. ([link removed])
* 2024 People's Budget: The New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus released its 2024 People’s Budget, which highlights budget priorities for supporting and uplifting Black, Latinx, and Asian communities across the state. Harlem World featured the announcement ([link removed]) , including a quote from Sonal Jessel.
* Lead Pipes: Route Fifty ([link removed]) wrote about the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to allow certain cities more than a decade to replace lead water pipes and featured a quote from Yuwa Vosper. Estimates are that it could take New York City up to 14 years to replace its 140,000 lead water pipes.
* Climate and Resilience Education Task Force: As part of the Climate and Resilience Education Task Force, we have been working on legislation to ensure that New York State public schools educate children about the causes and impacts of climate change. The National Center for Science Education shared the news ([link removed]) that proposed legislation has been amended to align with our platform, which should increase our likelihood of success.
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East Harlem Holiday Extravaganza
Our friends at Uptown Grand Central ([link removed]) have put together a Harlem Night Market for the holidays on Saturday, December 16 from 3 - 8 pm that offers something for everyone in the family. You can get the full details here ([link removed]) , but our advice is to start at the Urban Garden Center, which has moved to 111th Street under the Park Avenue viaduct. In addition to delicious hot chocolate, they have a number of arts and crafts vendors as well as their usual display of wreaths, poinsettias, and other holiday décor. Then you can take the free trolley (or walk, as it’s just a few blocks) to La Marqueta, which is under the Park Avenue viaduct at 115th Street. There you will find an assortment of food stalls with delightful things to eat. From there, head into La Placita – under the viaduct between
115th & 116th Streets – for locals selling more food, arts, and crafts. Plus, they have DJs, dancing, and a 360-degree photo booth.
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Listen to Uptown Chats Legacy of Lead
Check out the latest episode of Uptown Chats ([link removed]) podcast about lead and environmental justice! Lonnie and Jaron sit down with WE ACT’s Director of Policy Sonal Jessel, MPH and Matthew Chachere, Former Staff Attorney at Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC), to talk about the long, ongoing struggle against childhood lead poisoning in New York and why it’s such a critical environmental justice issue.
Have experience with making music? Uptown Chats is looking for a new theme song to ring in the new year! Submit a sample of your work (~30 seconds) to
[email protected] by December 31, and we'll reach out to our top selections.
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Let's Include Voices from Northern Manhattan in This Survey!
Communities Speak is gathering data on what living in New York City is really like. Survey responses are shared with city policymakers and help make sure that policy in our city is made with the needs of our community in mind. Please take a few minutes to share your opinions!
Take the Survey ([link removed])
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East Harlem Community Coat and Sweater Giveaway Event
The Boriken Neighborhood Health Center ([link removed]) in East Harlem is hosting a holiday giveaway for families in need of toys, sweaters, and coats. Stop by the event and enjoy live music on December 20 until 4 pm at
2265 3rd Avenue.
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New York Times Survey on How to Improve NYC Buses
Have a New York Times subscription? If so, please take a moment to share your thoughts in a new survey ([link removed]) they are conducting about the NYC bus system and how to improve it!
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