February 2025 Membership Meeting:
Celebrate Black History Month! 

Free Lobbying Training

On Tuesday, we held our first Albany Advocacy Day to lobby for the NY HEAT Act. Our next Albany Advocacy Day will be on March 4th, where we will be lobbying for the Beauty Justice Act (scroll down for details) – along with several more advocacy trips in the coming months. Joining us for one of these day trips is one of the best ways to help advance key environmental justice legislation here in New York State, which is becoming increasingly important as the new administration in Washington has been waging a war on equity – and on environmental justice in particular. Stick around after our Membership Meeting tomorrow (see above) because we will be providing some basic training on how to lobby – how to talk with your elected representatives about issues that matter to you. If you are concerned about environmental justice, then this is an essential skill to have!
 

Take Action: For a Better Cooling Center Program

We have been advocating for improvements to New York City’s Cooling Center program for years, and there is hope on the horizon! A new bill, Intro. 998, has been introduced in the City Council that could finally address some of the concerns our Climate Justice Working Group raised in its Cooling Center Audit. This legislation would empower New York City’s Office of Emergency Management and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to center equity in the quantity and siting of cooling center locations. It also would amend the City Charter to include the program, securing a path to its longevity, expanded outreach capacity, and accessibility improvements. Once the City Charter is amended, it will be easier to hold the Mayor and City Council accountable to ensure equitable investment in the program as well.

How You Can Help
The Council’s Health Committee has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday, February 19th, at 10:30 AM. You can register here to submit oral or written testimony explaining how a well-funded and equitable Cooling Center program would foster health and resilience in your community. You can testify in person at City Hall or via Zoom (two-minute limit on this oral testimony) – and either way, you can also submit written testimony as well (for which you can write as much as you want). Visit our Cooling Center page on the website for a template to help you with your testimony. And reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions.

Climate Justice Working Group

On Tuesday, February 18th, WE ACT's Climate Justice Working Group will hear from WE ACT's Federal Government Affairs Manager, Astrid DuBois, on the status of recent executive orders and what they mean for environmental justice and New York State. 

We will then hear from Jon Furlong, Clean Buildings Manager at NYLCV, about a new technology in New York that could deliver clean and cheap energy to dozens of buildings at once. Thermal Energy Networks are neighborhood-scale systems that allow buildings to exchange heat with several energy sources, such as lakes and rivers, energy-intensive buildings, wastewater systems, or the stable temperature of the earth, and can be designed with backup systems to remain reliable even amid a power outage. RSVP

Breathe Free: Environmental Justice from New Orleans to Harlem

Albany Advocacy Day: Beauty Justice

Are you concerned about the toxic chemicals commonly found in cosmetics and other personal care products? Did you know that many of the most toxic products are aggressively marketed toward people of color? Do you want to help do something about this? Travel with us to Albany on Tuesday, March 4th, to lobby for legislation to get toxic chemicals out of these products!

We will lobby for the New York State Beauty Justice Act, which will ban the most dangerous toxic chemicals from the majority of personal care products. And we will also be lobbying for legislation to eliminate toxic substances like PFAS and formaldehyde from menstrual products.

Join us in Albany to demand stronger health protections in the beauty and personal care industries. On Tuesday, March 4th, we will be taking a bus from our office (7 AM) up to the State Capitol to meet with key state legislators, returning later that day (5 PM). We will provide a briefing on these bills and a quick tutorial on talking to elected officials as well as a free lunch and transportation. Watch this brief video to learn what these Albany trips are all about, and be sure to stick around after tomorrow’s Membership Meeting (see above) for hands-on lobbying training. RSVP

Earth Day 5K Fun Run: Support WE ACT!

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 Saturday, April 19th. You can run or walk and enter as an individual or as a team. The event is open to everyone, including all ages and abilities. 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. RSVP

Peggy Shepard raised concerns in POLITICO about Governor Hochul’s continued failure to address pressing climate and environmental justice issues, including the failure to deliver a comprehensive cap-and-invest program as she had promised:

“I think she’s going to have a tough time getting reelected and, certainly with this kind of record on climate and environment, I don’t see a lot of strong support for her in a reelection campaign if this continues,” said Peggy Shepard, executive director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice.

“I would expect that support for her would be lukewarm at best, especially if we have other candidates running who are strong on these issues,” Shepard added. “I think that’s a real vulnerability.”

Leslie Fields was quoted in AFRO-American Newspapers, a wire service supporting Black-owned newspapers across the country, responding to the new administration’s war on equity:

“As we enter into an era of weaponized phrases and issues, we must remember that environmental justice means that all people should have equitable access to a healthy, sustainable, and resilient environment,” said Leslie Fields, chief federal officer of WE ACT For Environmental Justice. “Trump’s day one acts – including rescissions of nearly 80 vital executive orders while adding dozens of new, anti-democratic orders – roll back popular policies that promote clean, renewable, and affordable energy. These actions also place vulnerable communities in even greater danger from pollution and the dire, real-time consequences of the climate crisis. In the face of these assaults, we will not stop pursuing justice.”

Annie Carforo was quoted in NY Focus on the abrupt three-day halt to HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program), which helps New Yorkers struggling to pay their energy bills. She noted that the program ran out of funds in the summer as New Yorkers tried to keep their homes cool, but now it has run out during the winter heating season as well. Fortunately, the program received emergency funding and has since reopened. The article was also picked up by several newspapers across the state, including the Syracuse Post-Standard.

Get Ready to Vote: Deadline to Change Parties is Feb. 14

February 14th is Valentine’s Day, a holiday that has traditionally celebrated commitments. So, it’s fitting that February 14th is also the day you need to commit to a political party. New York has a Primary Election on June 24th, which will use Ranked Choice Voting. Visit this link to register to vote or confirm that you are registered by visiting this link. But we wanted to give you a heads-up that February 14th is the deadline to change party affiliations for the primary, should you be inclined to do so. Learn More