Happy Holidays from the WE ACT Weekly Team!

Mark Your Calendar: January Membership Meeting

Mark your calendar for our first Membership Meeting of the year! We will be meeting from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM on Saturday, January 17th. We’ll announce the location in the New Year, but the main topic of discussion will be our plans and priorities for 2026. RSVP

And while you have your calendar open, you can add all of our 2026 Membership Meetings: Upcoming Events

The Heat Is On: Apply to HEAP for Help with Winter Heating Costs

Staying warm shouldn’t be a luxury. The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is now open – and it’s a critical resource for low-income frontline communities facing rising energy burdens and winter heating costs.

Too many New Yorkers are forced to choose between heat, food, and rent because of unaffordable utility bills and aging, inequitable energy systems. HEAP can help provide a credit toward your heating bill, whether you use electric, gas, oil, propane, or other fuels.

Check to see if you qualify and apply at MyBenefits.ny.gov. You can learn more and apply at otda.ny.gov/programs/heap or by calling 1-800-342-3009, but our friends at PULP recommend MyBenefits.ny.gov as it could be quicker. Learn More & Apply 

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has 26 days left to sign two of our bills into law. We need your help in reminding her to do so!

Click here to ask the Governor to sign into law the legislation that repeals the 100-foot rule, saving New Yorkers $200 million annually.

Click here to ask the Governor to sign into law the legislation banning PFAS and other toxic chemicals from menstrual products sold in New York State.

And if you want to make sure that we can still successfully advocate for legislation like this, please make a donation to support our work!

Take Action: Support Climate Education in New York State’s Schools

The New York Board of Regents published a proposed amendment of section 100.2 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education to require instruction in climate education in our schools. They are accepting public comments from now until January 19th, 2026. These comments will help them determine how to vote on the proposed amendment in March 2026, so hearing from you is critical.

As a member of Climate & Resilience Education Task Force, we strongly endorse this amendment, and hope you do as well. Click here to learn how you can submit comments to let them know that interdisciplinary P-12 climate education is essential in New York State. Support the Required Instruction in Climate Education

Toxic Tour: Environmental Justice in Louisiana

If you will be down in New Orleans from Dec. 15-19th for the annual American Geophysical Union meeting, we are co-hosting a toxics and treasures tour with the Union of Concerned Scientists and Louisiana community leaders on Sunday, Dec. 14 from 1:00-5:00 PM. Attendees will learn about the impacts of industrial pollution and ongoing restoration efforts in the area. RSVP

As we noted last week, two of our staff are making presentations at the American Geophysical Union meeting: Valentina Rojas will be presenting on our Community Air Monitoring Project (CAMP) on Monday, Dec. 15th and Tali Natter will be presenting on our StoryMaps on Tuesday, Dec. 16th. Learn More

Manny Salgado was among the authors of a new paper published in The Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences demonstrating that to eliminate the disproportionate levels of air pollution experienced by people of color in the United States, policies seeking to improve general air quality are not enough but rather must explicitly aim to decrease disparities. The study also shows policies that target disparities for overburdened communities result in larger air quality improvements for everyone. The paper offers a range of approaches to air pollution policy that go beyond traditional emission reductions and provides strategies that should be at the center of the future environmental policy.

The trade publication Pipeline Technology Journal referenced us in an article on the FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act of 2025, federal legislation that would amend the Natural Gas Act to require FERC (the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) to determine if the impacts of a proposed pipeline on environmental justice communities are significant, if they can be mitigated, and if the project ensures energy reliability and affordability. As the article notes, we consider this bill to be a "critical step forward" for accountability.

Give a Gift to WE ACT: Double Your Donation

'Tis the season for giving, and we hope you will consider a gift to WE ACT for Environmental Justice. A dedicated supporter is stepping up to match all donations made from now until December 31st, up to $5,000, so your donation will be doubled! Click this secure link to support WE ACT today!