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This Saturday: Meet Your City Council Member at our January Meeting

Be sure to join us for our first membership meeting of 2024! We have invited all of Northern Manhattan’s New York City Council Members to come and discuss environmental justice concerns with us this Saturday, January 13th at 10 am at 454 West 155th Street, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge. District 7’s Shaun Abreu, District 10’s Carmen De La Rosa, and District 9’s Dr. Yusef Salaam have already RSVPed and will be present to discuss environmental justice issues in Northern Manhattan!

RSVP ([link removed])
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Albany Advocacy Days: Help Us Get Climate Justice Education in the Classroom

Do you think kids should learn about climate change and climate justice in school? Then join us for the following Climate Education Advocacy Days:
* Tuesday, January 23 ([link removed])
* Tuesday, January 30 ([link removed])
* Tuesday, February 6 ([link removed])

The National Wildlife Federation, co-leader of our Climate Resilience Education Task Force, has organized three Climate Education Advocacy Days to meet with legislators and their staff to advocate for our climate justice education bill ( S.278A / A.1559A ) ([link removed]) , which would establish a course of instruction and learning expectations on climate education in all of the state’s public elementary and secondary schools.

Food and transportation will be provided for these day-long trips. You can get all the details, including a link to sign up, by clicking here ([link removed]) . And there will be two virtual prep meetings held via Zoom at 10 am on Monday, January 15 ([link removed]) and 5 pm on Monday, January 22 ([link removed]) .
Register to Attend ([link removed])

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Albany Advocacy Day: Help Us Lower Energy Bills and Emissions

Do you want to help reduce energy bills and emissions? Then join us ([link removed]) on Tuesday, January 23 for our first Albany Advocacy Day of the year, which will focus on passing the New York Home Energy Affordable Transition (NY HEAT) Act ([link removed]) . We will be taking a bus up to Albany for a rally in the State Capitol Building followed by meetings with key state legislators to make sure we get this bill over the finish line.

As you may have heard, Governor Hochul pledged to eliminate the 100-foot rule, which was one of the requirements in the NY HEAT Act (see our response ([link removed]) to her State-of-the-State Address). But she did not include the other part of the bill, which would cap household energy bills at 6 percent for all families. This is important because New Yorkers with a low or moderate income and New Yorkers of color pay on average a disproportionately higher percentage of their household income on energy, as much as three times more ([link removed]) , and often live in older, less energy- efficient homes that require more energy to heat and cool. Failing to include this provision is really a disservice to the more than 1.2 million New Yorkers struggling with their energy bills this winter.

No lobbying experience necessary. Lunch and transportation are complimentary. Spend the day with us in Albany and make a difference! Register below and reach out to Annie Carforo at [email protected] with questions.

Register to Attend ([link removed])

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Panel on the Role of Academic Institutions in Environmental and Climate Justice

The New School’s Tishman Environment and Design Center is hosting a symposium ([link removed]) on January 17-19 that will feature a panel discussion at 12:15 on Friday, January 19, with Peggy Shepard along with Dr. Nicky Sheats, Director, Center of Urban Environments, Kean University, and Dr. Sacoby Wilson, Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health, University of Maryland - College Park. They will reflect on their own experience with justice-centered partnerships and discuss what it takes to effectively structure and implement them.

Another part of the symposium you won’t want to miss is the keynote address ([link removed]) by Dr. Beverly Wright, Founder and Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice ([link removed]) , on Thursday, January 17. It will be followed by a conversation with Dr. Jalonne White-Newsome, the first-ever Federal Chief Environmental Justice Officer for the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) ([link removed]) , and former WE ACT staffer.

Learn More ([link removed])
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Funding Opportunity: Webinar for New York State Municipal Officials on Grants
for Emission Reduction Projects

Peggy Shepard will be a panelist on the New York State Bar Association’s webinar to help New York State municipalities better understand how they can optimize their efforts to access the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program funding for greenhouse gas reduction projects. You can register here ([link removed]) for the webinar, which will take place 11 am on January 23. You can also visit our EPA Region 2 TCTAC Funding Opportunities page ([link removed]) for more information on this grant program.

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* Lead Pipe Right to Know Act: Harlem World shared ([link removed]) the good news about Governor Kathy Hochul signing the Lead Pipe Right
to Know Act over the holidays. We had been advocating for that legislation, which requires the identification a lead service lines in local water systems, as it is the first step in getting those dangerous lead pipes replaced.
* WE ACT Environmental Justice Center: City Life noted ([link removed]) that the New York City Neighborhood Capital Corporation, a Community Development Entity managed by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, provided us financial assistance through the U.S. Department of Treasury’s New Markets Tax Credits for the construction of our Environmental Justice Center ([link removed]) . Located in West Harlem’s Hamilton Heights Historic District, this new center will strengthen our ability to serve as a movement-builder, sharing our knowledge, experience, and best practices, along with capacity-building resources, including funding, with allies across the country. It will be the first urban environmental justice center in New York, serving as a convening space and technical assistance hub for environmental justice
organizations and other grassroots advocates. And it will be equipped with the technology for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) education and citizen science to enhance our ability to provide community-based education, workforce development, and civic engagement efforts that directly empower Northern Manhattan residents.

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Uptown Chats: Why Rats Are an Environmental Justice Issue

Uptown Chats is back for Season 2! Switching to a bimonthly format, Jaron and Lonnie kick off the new year with their first listener-requested topic – Rats! We all know those furry creatures are a nuisance, but are they also an environmental justice issue? Listen to this episode ([link removed]) of our Uptown Chats podcast to find out!
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