Watch: Peggy Shepard Speaking at the White House Summit on Environmental Justice

Peggy Shepard was invited to speak at the White House Summit on Environmental Justice in Action on Wednesday, July 24 to talk about the good work the Biden-Harris administration has been doing to advance environmental and climate justice. You can watch her remarks here (should automatically start you at the 34:12 mark).

Learn: New Environmental Justice Course Available for Members

As an extension of our Environmental Health & Justice Leadership Training program, we have 10 free spots for WE ACT members and our community to audit an immersive course on environmental justice being taught this fall by Dr. Micaela Martinez and Cameron Clarke at the CUNY School of Public Health, which is located at 55 West 125th Street in Harlem. This in-person class begins on Monday, September 9 and will be held Mondays from 6:00-7:50 PM until December 16, 2024.
 
This course will explore the intersection of social justice, environmental issues, and public health through the lens of justice and equity. Participants will learn the foundational concepts of environmental justice, emphasizing the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on marginalized communities. Key topics will include climate justice, environmental and public health policy, foundations of organizing and advocacy, green and blue space, and gentrification.
 
The course has no prerequisites, no required textbooks, and is free to WE ACT members and residents of Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx (no academic credit will be available for non-CUNY students). Given that there are only 10 spots available, please be sure you will be able to attend all of the classes before signing up - WE ACT members will be prioritized if we hit the cap. If you are interested and confident that you can attend all of the classes, please sign up here.

Training: Understanding Environmental Justice Laws & Policies

One of our TCTAC partners, NYU Institute for Policy Integrity, is conducting a free, six-part training series to provide environmental justice communities – and those who serve them – with the tools to effectively engage with government at all levels. The first in this series, Understanding Environmental Justice Laws and Policies, will be held on Thursday, August 22 from 5:00-6:00 PM. This training will present a high-level overview of key laws and policies that require the consideration of environmental justice issues in decisionmaking at the federal and state level for New York and New Jersey. Register here, and learn more about the TCTAC (including other trainings and funding opportunities) here.

Learn: New York State Cap & Invest Program

We are working with New Yorkers for Clean Power and other members of the Better Buildings New York coalition to advance an ambitious Cap & Invest program. To help you better understand this program, how it will benefit our communities, and how you can get involved, we will be holding a webinar on Wednesday, July 31 at 12:00 PM. Eric Walker will join speakers from the Regional Plan Association, New Yorkers for Clean Power, NYSERDA, and Harvard Law School. RSVP here.

Member BBQ: Strong Turnout from Community & Electeds

Many thanks to all who joined us at our annual Membership BBQ on Saturday, July 20 at the Sojourner Truth School, including New York City Councilmember Shaun Abreu, New York City Councilmember Gale Brewer, New York State Senator Cordell Cleare, Chair of Community Board 9 Victor Edwards, New York State Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs, New York State Senator Robert Jackson, New York State Attorney General Tish James, New York City Councilmember Dr. Yusef Salaam, Deputy Manhattan Borough President Keisha Sutton-James, New York State Assemblymember Al Taylor, New York City Public Advocate Juumane Williams, and others. We have shared some photos on our Facebook page here.

Federal Policy: The Indoor Air Quality & Healthy Schools Act

We released a statement in support of Congressman Paul D. Tonko's (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick's (R-PA) Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act (PDF), a bipartisan bill that would “ensure that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has the authority and resources necessary to better protect public health from poor indoor air quality.” This includes establishing “a regularly updated national assessment of indoor air quality in schools and childcare facilities” as well as supporting the development of technical assistance, guidelines, and best practices to improve the indoor air quality conditions in these facilities. This is critical because, while poor indoor air quality negatively affects everyone, people of color and low-income are exposed to the most air pollution. And children are most vulnerable to the harmful impacts of air pollution, with Black children twice as likely to develop asthma as white children and 10 times more likely to die from its complications. Read our statement here.

Peggy Shepard Joins Rep. Adriano Espaillat's Environmental Justice Boat Tour

Peggy Shepard was invited to join Representative Adriano Espaillat (see photo above) for the congressmember’s annual Environmental Justice Boat Tour. She spoke about our Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC), which is helping environmental justice communities – and those who serve them – in New York and New Jersey take advantage of all the federal funding the Biden-Harris administration has made available.

Peggy Shepard to be Honored by Women of Color Collective in Sustainability

Peggy Shepard will be honored at the Women of Color Collective in Sustainability’s 5th anniversary celebration. WOC/CS is a collective created to support women of color who want to connect, collaborate, identify mentorships, job opportunities, and seek resources within sustainability. The celebration will include the Breakthrough Awards, which honor exceptional women of color who are leading innovative solutions and blazing new trails in the climate industry. Peggy will be among this year’s honorees, which also include Shyla Raghav, Chief Climate Officer of Time Inc., and Bomee Jung, Co-Founder and CEO of Cadence OneFive.

It may be the dead of summer, but it is a lively time for climate policy in New York. Awareness around extreme heat is reaching a fever pitch as we have just reached the hottest global temperature in thousands of years. Fortunately, this month has delivered some promising new developments at the city, state, and federal levels that are supportive of comprehensive heat adaptation. Here’s our top 4 updates for the month of July:

1) New York State Extreme Heat Action Plan Released: Earlier this month, the New York State Department of Energy Research and Development and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation released the Extreme Heat Action Plan (EHAP) that has been years in the making. It incorporates recommendations from community organizations, private sector stakeholders, and academic researchers, and we are happy to report that includes a broad range of recommendations from WE ACT, South Bronx Unite, and others. The EHAP charts a path to statewide implementation by identifying current programs and potential funding sources to make them a reality. Read the full plan here (PDF).
 
2) New York City Extreme Heat Bill Package: At last week’s New York City Council Stated Meeting, three bills that would jolt New York City’s Extreme Heat adaptation measures forward were introduced. We will be hard at work fighting for the passage of the Tenant’s Right to Cooling, Codify Cooling Centers, and Cool Pavement Pilot Project introductions this summer. Stay tuned, as we will need your help! 
 
3) New York City’s Fiscal Year Budget 2025: After what felt like the longest budget season ever, the City Budget was finalized on June 30. While “Heat Adaptation” doesn’t show up as a line item, it’s reflected in how departments that serve critical functions in our emergency and long-term responses to climate change were funded. About $35 million of the Park’s departmental budget was restored, which is still about a $20 million shortfall compared to last year. While this is a disheartening blow to the implementation of the Urban Forest Plan (PDF), the budget fully restored funding for Libraries, which are a critical institution for a variety of multigenerational services, especially Cooling Centers. Lastly, some mitigation measures like the expansion of the MTA Fair Fares program and reinstatement of the community composting program are worth celebrating. Still, remember the half promises, that if continued, amount to generational losses in resiliency capacity.
 
4) CDC Heat Health Initiative Tools: For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has rolled out a suite of resources that can help communities recognize how heat can threaten their health, plan to avoid harm, and contextualize it on a national scale. New York State is assessing how these tools can better support New Yorkers. If you have questions or comments about how they can be improved, please let us know! WE ACT will elevate them both to the CDC and relevant State agencies. (Note: we have been told translation of the Heat and Health Tracker Dashboard is forthcoming).

Through the end of the cooling season, we will be sharing news, events, and resources once a month to help you beat the heat! Please let us know ([email protected]) if you have questions or recommendations about how we can reach others in your community that are disproportionately burdened by extreme heat.

Harlem Week: Peggy Shepard Speaking on Climate Justice

Peggy Shepard will be speaking about climate justice in Harlem as part of Harlem Week’s annual climate event. The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and the Columbia Climate School have brought together a great list of speakers, including CUNY Medgar Evers College President Dr. Patricia Ramsey and New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, along with a panel – New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Director Elijah Hutchinson, Columbia Climate School Professor of Climate Sheila Foster, Harlem Community Development Corporation President Curtis Archer, and Infrastructure Engineering Incorporated CEO Michael Sutton – moderated by Columbia’s Chief Climate & Sustainability Officer Daniel Zarrilli. Join us on Wednesday, August 7 from 5:30-8:30 PM at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building, which is located at 163 West 125th Street (at the corner of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard). Learn more and RSVP here. And be sure to arrive early to due to security.

Take Action: Don't Let Them Water Down One of NYC's Most Important Climate Laws!

Local Law 97 is the most aggressive and ambitious city climate law in the country that we helped pass in 2019. New York City’s buildings are responsible for 70 percent of climate pollution in the city, and this law is set to begin slashing building emissions drastically starting this year. However, a new bill, Intro 772, which could severely weaken Local Law 97, has been introduced in City Council and is gaining traction. We cannot let this bill pass and weaken our efforts for cleaner and healthier buildings throughout the city. Send an email to New York City Council members and make a phone call to your Council member telling them to defend Local Law 97! 

Listen: US Energy Policy Wrong Direction Mini-Series

There’s still time to listen to Dr. Ana Baptista, Director of the Tishman Environment & Design Center at the New School, talk about the problems with carbon capture. But on Monday we will be dropping our next episode of Uptown Chat's Wrong Direction mini-series about why the U.S. Department of Energy’s is heading in the Wrong Direction. Tune in on July 29 to hear Roishetta Sibley Ozane, founder of the Vessel Project, talk about LNG – Liquified Natural Gas – and the multiple harms it causes our communities (she also provides a great history of the Environmental Justice movement)! Listen Today

Remembering Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

We want to take a moment to celebrate Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, who passed away last Friday. A New York City native, she served the 18th District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than 29 consecutive years. Her remarkable tenure is a testament to how well she served her constituents.
 
In addition to serving as the Democratic Chief Deputy Whip for the U.S. House of Representatives, she was a senior member of the House Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and the crucial Budget Committee. She was the author and lead sponsor of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act as well as author and champion of the Violence Against Women's Act. Her other legislative initiatives include the Sentencing Reform Act, George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, RAISE Act, Fair Chance for Youth Act, Kimberly Vaughan Firearm Safe Storage Act, Kaleif's Law, and the American RISING Act.
 
Congressional Quarterly named her one of the 50 most effective Members of Congress, and U.S. News and World Report named her one of the 10 most influential legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives. A true leader and inspiration to so many, her powerful voice, leadership, and legislative prowess will be missed. Watch this video of her being honored on by the U.S. House of Representatives.