Get ready for our May Membership Meeting tomorrow, Saturday, May 17th, from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM. We’re going to start out with a presentation on pesticides, which will be followed by a presentation on air quality monitoring in Northern Manhattan. Then we will talk about our new campaign to improve the parks in Northern Manhattan and how you can get involved. We will be meeting at Prince Hall, located at 454 West 155th Street. RSVP

Are you interested in improving the parks in Northern Manhattan? Then join us along with the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund for our Northern Manhattan Parks Workshop on Tuesday, May 20th at 6:00 PM at the Manhattanville Community Center (530 West 133rd Street). As part of our Our Parks, Our Backyards campaign to engage Northern Manhattan residents on parks issues and the importance of parks funding, this event will bring together park advocates, community members and elected officials to discuss parks in Northern Manhattan, identify problems, solutions, needs/goals and engage in the budget campaign. RSVP

Join our Climate Justice Working Group for a special in-person meeting to talk about community solar. We will be meeting on Wednesday, May 21 from 6:00-7:30 PM at our office, located on the Second Floor of 1854 Amsterdam Avenue (at 152nd Street). RSVP

Join Consumer Reports, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Clean + Healthy, and local community partners for a powerful community conversation about the Beauty Justice Act, a groundbreaking bill that would ban the most harmful chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products sold in New York State. This in-person event will be held on Friday, May 23rd at 5:00 PM at the Community Board (4101 White Plains Road, the Bronx, NY 10466).

Hear from a panel of health experts, local organizations, and advocates about how this legislation protects public health, especially for communities disproportionately impacted by toxic beauty products. Consumer Reports will share findings from its recent study on synthetic braiding hair, which revealed dangerous chemicals, including known carcinogens like benzene and lead in every sample tested. These results highlight the urgent need for stronger regulations, particularly as Black women and girls face disproportionate exposure to these toxic substances through products marketed to them. RSVP

Are you interested in improving the parks in Northern Manhattan? Then join us along with the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund for our Northern Manhattan Parks Day on Saturday, May 31st from 12:00-4:00 PM at Marcus Garvey Park, Jackie Robinson Park, Thomas Jefferson Park, Riverside Park, Fort Tryon Park, and Inwood Hill Park. As part of our Our Parks, Our Backyards campaign to engage Northern Manhattan residents on parks issues and the importance of parks funding, we will celebrate by bringing together the community to enjoy the parks in Northern Manhattan. No set agenda. Just come, enjoy the park, and tag us on social media! The rain date for this will be June 7th. RSVP

Our bill to ban PFAS and other toxic chemicals from menstrual products sold in New York State has passed both houses – unanimously! This is a big win for our JustGreen Partnership, which has a long track record of passing legislation to reduce toxic exposure in our communities. But now we need your help to make sure New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signs this bill into law. Click here to send the Governor a letter, asking her to sign the bill. And while you are at it, we hope you will also click here to send her a note urging her to pass the Beauty Justice Act, which will ban these toxic chemicals from all personal care products sold in New York State.

For those of you who missed Valentina Rojas at last night’s New York City Urban Forest Plan community outreach kickoff event, where she spoke about the role of trees in addressing environmental justice issues such as extreme heat and flooding, you can still share your thoughts on how the City can increase the number of trees in your community. You can attend another of the community outreach events or you can share your thoughts online until June 16th. And if you read this far, you clearly care about trees, so we also encourage you to attend our Northern Manhattan Parks Workshop on May 20th.

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. And to celebrate, we wanted to share our latest storymap highlighting some of the key roles that the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander leaders and communities have played in shaping the environmental justice movement. View 

In the third episode of our mini-series focusing on what the Right Direction should be for the U.S. energy policy, Lonnie and Jaron are joined by Jordan Bonomo, Senior Project Manager at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), to talk about how they have been piloting heat pumps in their buildings to reduce their energy usage and improve the health and comfort of their residents. Listen

At 6:00 PM on Thursday, May 29th, Peggy Shepard will join a panel to help educate members of the Federal Bar Council about environmental justice. The Federal Bar Council is an organization of lawyers who practice in federal courts within the Second Circuit. Learn More & RSVP

The polling we released with the launch of our Healthy Homes First campaign was highlighted by the Environmental Polling Consortium in the weekly roundup it distributes.

Harlem World featured our Energy Affordability Workshop in the Bronx, complete with all the details on how passing the NY HEAT Act can improve energy affordability for New Yorkers struggling to pay their bills.

The Lake Placid News shared a photo about John Brown Day at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid. Peggy was honored there this weekend as one of John Brown Lives! Spirit of John Brown Freedom Awardees, along with Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance Founder & Executive Director Kelly Metzgar and Office of New Americans North Country Immigrant Resource Coordinator Diane Noiseux. The Plattsburgh Press-Republican also ran a story.

Click here to ask Governor Hochul to sign this bill banning PFAS and other toxic chemicals from menstrual products sold in New York State.

Click here to urge Governor Hochul to pass the Beauty Justice Act, which will ban these toxic chemicals from all personal care products sold in New York State.

Help us raise awareness of Beauty Justice in the Bronx on Friday, May 23rd to gather support for the New York State Beauty Justice Act among constituents of key state legislators.

Join us for an Albany Advocacy Day on Thursday, June 5th to help pass the NY HEAT Act.

Share your suggestions about New York City’s Urban Forest Plan by June 16th.

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