The testimony of average New Yorkers is crucial for gaining support for environmental justice bills from lawmakers. You can help us advocate to pass laws and change lives by joining us for one (or all!) of the following days. Never gone on an advocacy day with us before? Check out this video to see what to expect!
February 27 - Beauty Justice Bill: Join WE ACT and the JustGreen Partnership, a statewide coalition we co-lead to advocate for a future free of harmful chemicals, as we head to Albany on to lobby for the Beauty Justice Bill. For those who sign-up to attend, we will do a Zoom prep meeting on February 26 from 6 - 7 pm to explain the details of this legislation, provide tips on talking to legislators, and answer any questions you may have.
March 13 - NY HEAT Act: Help us advocate for the New York Home Energy Affordable Transition (NY HEAT) Act to lower utility bills and reduce the power of the fossil fuel industry.
March 19 - Housing Justice for All: Help us advocate for the Housing Justice for All platform which includes several bills to increase tenant rights and stop rent increases and evictions.
April 16 - Earth Day: Celebrate Earth Day by advocating for a variety of environmental justice legislation including the Enhanced Public Participation Plan, the Beauty Justice Bill, and the Lead Paint Right to Know Act.
Food and transportation between New York City and Albany are always provided along with quick training to help you prepare to advocate!
Fight For Housing and Climate Justice
The Our Homes Under Our Control campaign is urging New York State legislators and the Governor to pass legislation that will lower rent and utility bills for everyday New Yorkers, stop subsidizing the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure, and give renters more tenant protections and democratic control over their homes and communities.
Join us at our next teach-in on Thursday, March 7 from 6 - 7:30 pm at Buunni Coffee at 4961 Broadway in Inwood where we'll be discussing the campaign, the legislation, and how you can get involved.
We will be discussing the Our Homes Under Our Control campaign at our March Membership Meeting at 10 am on Saturday, March 9. We will also be talking about New York’s Presidential Primary Election, which will be held on Tuesday, April 2. We will be joined by the New York City Department of City Planning who will make a presentation on the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity. Finally, we will be celebrating Women’s History Month with Zenaida Mendez (above, left), Director of the Manhattan Neighborhood Network’s El Barrio Firehouse Community Media Center – among the many hats she wears, including that of a former WE ACT Board Member. The location will be announced soon, but you can RSVP now.
We have enjoyed an outpouring of support over the past few months, so we’re hosting a webinar to welcome new donors – along with anyone else interested in learning more about WE ACT! We’ll be providing an overview of our organization, the impacts we have had, and some of the major initiatives we’re currently undertaking. Our speakers will include Co-Founder & Executive Director Peggy Shepard, Director of Civic Engagement & Organizing Pamela Stewart-Martinez, and Director of Environmental Health Dr. Micaela Martinez. Join us via Zoom on Wednesday, March 13 at 6 pm to learn more about WE ACT and the work we do.
Come celebrate Earth Day, help raise funds for WE ACT, and run or walk for a healthier, greener community at our annual Earth Day 5K fundraiser. We will be holding the fun run at Randall’s Island on Sunday, April 28. Early bird tickets are now on sale for $25! To take advantage of this special offer, register today using the promo code “earlybird” when prompted. You can run or walk, and enter as an individual or as a team. Sign up today and get a free WE ACT membership! And If you can’t join us, please consider making a donation to support our work.
Peggy Shepard to Talk About Environmental Health Inequities and the Climate Crisis
On February 26, Peggy Shepard will be one of the featured speakers at Designing Health Systems Resilience, a full-day symposium at the New York Academy of Medicine to address the critical challenges our healthcare and public health systems face in the wake of COVID-19 and the escalating climate change crisis.
Our Homes Under Our Control: The Columbia Spectator wrote a story on our first teach-in for the Our Homes Under Our Control campaign. The article features multiple quotes from Cameron Clarke and Annie Carforo explaining why we have chosen to focus on energy justice legislation like the NY HEAT Act along with a package of housing justice bills as part of this new campaign. For those interested, there will be another teach-in on March 7.
LNG Pause: The NRDC blog post co-authored by Jasmine Jennings and NRDC Senior Staff Attorney Morgan Johnson was quoted in a Truthout article on the passage of a Republican-led and fossil fuel-funded bill in the House of Representatives to resume LNG export facilities – arguing that the oil industry’s record-setting profits are somehow in the public interest. The blog post made the case that these facilities are clearly not in the public’s interest, as they significantly impact the health of the surrounding communities.
PFAS Bills: Elizabeth Reyes was quoted in a Waste360 article about proposed PFAS legislation in New York State, noting that studies show that “race and product use by race are key factors in determining levels of exposure to these harmful chemicals.”
EPA Soot Standards: The Environmental Protection Agency quoted Anastasia Gordon and shared our statement on its new soot pollution standards, which we commended while calling for even stronger protections.
Peggy's Talk at NYAM: Peggy Shepard’s upcoming talk at the New York Academy of Medicine was featured in Harlem World.
Our Planned Environmental Justice Center is on the Rise
In case you missed yesterday’s email, our new Environmental Justice Center is making progress – thanks to public funders and generous donors like you! Located in Harlem’s Hamilton Heights Historic District, this under-renovation brownstone will serve as a convening space and technical assistance hub for environmental justice organizations and other grassroots advocates. With a permanent space to call our own, equipped with the technology for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) education and citizen science, we’ll also scale up our community-based education, workforce development, and civic engagement efforts that directly empower Northern Manhattan residents.
We’re happy to report that the New York City Economic Development Corporation announced major investments, originating from the US Department of Treasury, in local projects that will directly benefit disadvantaged communities, including our Environmental Justice Center. Additionally, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand have allocated $1 million toward the Environmental Justice Center in the pending FY 2024 federal appropriations legislation. These commitments build upon a $775,000 grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation along with hundreds of gifts from individual donors, totaling over $825,000 – with gifts ranging from $150,000 to as little as $10.
We’re proud of this diverse range of public and private supporters, major donors, and grassroots donors. We need your support to meet our $7.3 million capital campaign goal, to bring an important new resource for environmental justice education and training to our community.
For more information about the Center, supporting our capital campaign, or partnering with WE ACT on its development, please visit our website and consider giving a donation to help make this space a reality. All Environmental Justice Center supporters will receive recognition on our website and in the Environmental Justice Center upon its launch.
The People's Budget 2024 is Launching to Demand a Better Budget from the Mayor
Join the People’s Budget Campaign Launch on Wednesday, March 6 at 11 am at the Tweed Courthouse at 52 Chambers Street in Downtown. The People's Budget Launch will highlight some of the core demands for a people’s budget that offers care, dignity, and justice for all New Yorkers (not cuts or criminalization) and mark the beginning of a four-month public campaign to push the Mayor and the City Council to deliver a better budget for all, including funding for public schools and universities, libraries, essential and social services, and housing.
Participate in Columbia’s Indoor Air Temperature Study
Extreme heat is the deadliest impact of climate change, and it disproportionately harms people of color. To better understand how extreme heat – and extreme cold – are impacting our indoor environments, researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health have launched the HEATE (Heat Exposure And Temperature Equity) Project, and are currently looking for residents of apartment buildings to participate in this important study. Participants will have two small temperature sensors installed in their home to record indoor air temperatures from this winter season until the end of summer 2024. Each household will be compensated $50 for their participation, and you must be 18 or older to take part. Follow this link to participate, or reach out to Columbia’s Robbie M. Parks at [email protected] with questions.
Tune in to a new Uptown Chats episode coming Monday! Jaron and Lonnie will sit down with Peggy Shepard to talk about New York City's new and unprecedented report on environmental justice throughout the five boroughs. In the meantime you can listen to last week's episode about how the budget gets decided at the city and state level in New York with the help from WE ACT’s State Legislative Manager Briana Carbajal.
