Plus a New Housing Campaign, Events, Podcasts, & More!

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Fight for Beauty Justice and Celebrate Black History and Dominican Heritage with Us

Join us for our February Membership Meeting ([link removed]) on Saturday, February 10 at 10 am at 454 West 155th Street, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge. In addition to celebrating Black History Month and Dominican Heritage Month, we will be talking about New York State's Beauty Justice bill, and what you can do to help get it passed. Personal care products – everything from cosmetics to soaps and shampoos to hair straighteners – are largely unregulated, with far too many containing toxic ingredients that have been linked to cancer, infertility, miscarriage, poor infant and maternal health outcomes, obesity, asthma, and many other serious health concerns. And a combination of racist beauty standards and aggressive target marketing have led young women and femme-identifying people of color to higher rates of use for these harmful products - on top of already being exposed to disproportionate amounts of toxic chemicals.

That is why we are currently advocating for the passage of the Beauty Justice bill (formerly known as the Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act), which will ban the most dangerous toxic chemicals from the majority of these products. You can help by writing a letter ([link removed]) urging the NY State Legislature to pass it and join us on February 10 to more about the bill and our campaign!

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Albany Advocacy Day: 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 ([link removed]) on Tuesday, February 6 for our next advocacy day in Albany for climate education!

The National Wildlife Federation, co-leader of our Climate Resilience Education Task Force, has organized this Climate Education Advocacy Day 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 from New York to Albany! Never advocated before? No worries! You can watch this video ([link removed]) to see what these trips are like. And our staff will be there to help you prepare!
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Learn About Our New Campaign For Housing and Climate Justice

Last year, for-profit utility companies increased our energy bills by 14%, raking in more profits at the expense of our climate all while our rent is at record highs. Enough is enough: New Yorkers deserve lower rent, better tenant protections, and more affordable energy bills! Join us for a teach-in on Thursday, February 8 from 6 - 7:30 pm at the WE ACT Office at 1854 Amsterdam Avenue, 2nd Floor to learn about our new campaign, Our Homes Under Our Control, to lower rent and utility bills for everyday New Yorkers and how you can get involved!
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Huge Win: Biden Administration Agrees to Pause Liquified Natural Gas (LNG)

We had a huge win last week when the Biden administration announced that it would pause the permitting of pending and future liquid natural gas (LNG) infrastructure. While the Biden administration has done much to advance environmental justice, we have been pushing back hard on its support for LNG and the permitting of infrastructure - pipelines, refineries, and ports - being built to export this fossil fuel. Not only does the infrastructure encourage the continued use of fossil fuels, but most of it is being built in frontline communities (primarily in the Gulf Coast) already devastated by the environmental impacts of petroleum, natural gas, and petrochemical facilities.

While we would like to see this pause become permanent, we are taking a moment to celebrate our ongoing efforts to block the permitting of these damaging facilities!
Our Full Statement ([link removed])
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New Episode with Council Member Shaun Abreu: The War on the Rats!

Did somebody say rat contraceptives? In Part 2 of Uptown Chats January episodes on rats, Lonnie and Jaron sit down with City Council Member Shaun Abreu to explore the many ways the City and New Yorkers are waging war on these furry nuisances.
Listen Here ([link removed])

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* LNG Pause: Our statement on the Biden administration's pause of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports made the White House's "What They Are Saying" ([link removed]) daily roundup. And Jasmine Jennings co-authored a blog post ([link removed]) with NRDC’s Sustainable FERC Project Staff Attorney Morgan Johnson on the decision.
* Extreme Heat: Caleb Smith was quoted in Smart Cities' article ([link removed]) on extreme heat and what municipalities need to do to prepare for it. Caleb talked about the role that cooling centers can play in a city's plan as well as the importance of adequately funding them. They also talked about the importance of legislation like a maximum indoor air temperature, which we are advocating for here in New York City.
* Community Air Monitoring: Manny Salgado spoke with the Guardian ([link removed]) about our community air monitoring program as part of an article on the challenges some community-based organizations are finding with EPA grants.
* Legacy Pollution: Peggy Shepard was featured in a Law360 article ([link removed]) on brownfields and the role that the Biden administration’s Justice40 initiative could play in helping address this legacy pollution.

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Dr. Martinez Speaking at the Darwin Festival

Dr. Micaela Martinez will give a lecture at the annual Darwin Festival ([link removed]) , a weeklong event that celebrates the work of Charles Darwin with sessions from leading researchers in the field of biology hosted by Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts. Dr. Martinez will give an in-person talk on February 15 titled “From Air to Makeup: Addressing Environmental Justice in the U.S.” about how structural racism impacts environmental exposures and health in the U.S.
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Get Involved: Apply to Become a Community Board Member

Joining your local Community Board is a great way to effect change in your neighborhood. Applications are now open, with a February 23 deadline.
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