Peggy Shepard was interviewed on the EDF+Business Degrees podcast. If you are not familiar with Peggy’s background and the formation of WE ACT, then this is definitely worth a listen. She also discusses a wide range of other topics, including what the Biden administration could mean for the environmental justice movement. Listen to the Podcast

Sonal Jessel on Renewable Rikers
Sonal Jessel was interviewed by Future Human on the Renewable Rikers plan. If you are not familiar with the plan, then give this a read. As the City closes Rikers Island, we’re working to build a giant solar farm there to give New Yorkers a new source of renewable energy and help the city meet its climate goals. But what really makes it interesting is the opportunity this will create to train people from the communities most impacted by Rikers to do the installations. As Sonal notes, this will not only help drive New York’s post-pandemic economic recovery, but it will also help bring more people of color into the renewable energy industry with good jobs. Read the Article

Peggy Shepard & West Harlem Piers Park in Dynamic Geographies
Peggy Shepard and WE ACT’s work are featured in a new book, Dynamic Geographies, written by Barbara Wilks. It looks at how urban landscapes are subject to change, and how architects can embrace this to shape more resilient landscapes and a healthier planet. Among the projects featured in the book is West Harlem Piers Park. WE ACT spearheaded the development of a community-driven plan to create this park to increase access to the Harlem waterfront and raise interest in one of Northern Manhattan’s neglected neighborhoods.

Do you live in Northern Manhattan? Are you looking for an opportunity to get into the construction industry? As part of our Worker Training program, we're offering FREE online training to earn the 30-hour OSHA and Site Safety Training (SST) certifications required to work in construction. The training will run from 9 AM - 4 PM daily on February 2-5. If you or someone you know is interested, you MUST attend one of the following online orientations: January 26 from 9-10:30 AM or January 29 from 3-4:30 PM. We’re building healthier communities, and ensuring that residents have equal access to job opportunities is one of the ways we can achieve this.

Do you live in Northern Manhattan? Are you between 13-17 years of age? And are you a girl or femme-identifying person of color? If you answered “yes” to all three of those questions (or know someone who could), then we encourage you to take our survey to help us better understand your use of cosmetic products for our Beauty Inside Out campaign. If you are interested in participating, please complete this Google form. Once the form is completed, a parent/legal guardian will be contacted, and you will be informed of the next steps. Questions? Contact Leslie Martinez.

February Membership Meeting:
Out of Gas, In with Justice

Saturday, February 13
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET
via Zoom
 

Our next Membership Meeting is on February 13, the day before Valentine’s Day. We’ll be introducing you to decarbonization and electrification, two terms that figure into a lot of work we are doing – now and for the foreseeable future. Come and learn about our pilot program and statewide campaign to transition homes away from the use of natural gas and other fossil fuels (decarbonization) towards the use of renewable energy, which requires appliances that use electricity (electrification). For example, as part of our pilot program, we’ll be replacing gas stoves with induction stoves as well as installing air-source heat pumps in affordable housing. We’ll walk you through it all and answer any questions you may have. Plus, we are bringing in an expert to discuss COVID-19 vaccines. RSVP Today

Peggy Shepard will speak on the use of community-based participatory research to advance policies. Sponsored by the Detroit Urban Research Center and the CBPR Partnership Academy, the webinar will be held at 12:00 PM ET on January 27. Register to Attend

Our Membership & Organizing team is looking for an intern to assist with project management, data entry, and other administrative duties. And our Communications team is looking for a marketing or public relations student intern to assist with various writing projects, collateral development, and other communications duties. If you are interested, please send your resume and cover letter to [email protected], and indicate which internship you feel qualified for. No phone calls please!