We are poised for a big win at the New York City Council on Thursday, December 16. We have been working with our coalition partners (New York Communities for Change, New York Public Interest Research Group, and Food and Water Watch) on Intro 2317, Gas Free NYC, a bill that would put an end to gas hookups in new buildings and gut renovations here in New York City. If it passes and becomes law, it will be a major victory in the fight to reduce air pollution and address climate change. You can read the bill here, download our coalition announcement here (PDF), and learn more about why this is such an important issue here. And if would like to join us, we are having a celebratory rally at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, December 15 in City Hall Park!
More Big News: Lead Bills Vote
In addition to our Gas Free NYC bill, three lead-poisoning prevention bills we’ve been pushing will be voted on by the New York City Council on Thursday, December 16. These bills will ensure that the common areas of buildings are inspected for lead, increase inspections on “friction” surfaces like doors and windows in homes, and require the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to do more auditing and inspections.
WE ACT on Mayoral Transition Team
Peggy Shepard has been named co-chair and Sonal Jessel a contributor to New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adam’s Infrastructure, Climate, and Sustainability transition team. They are working to ensure that environmental justice is at the forefront of the new administration’s policies and practices, and they will also make recommendations on what we’d like to see in the first 100 days. Learn More
Public Forum on Racism, Social Equity, & the Law
Join us for the New York State Bar Association’s Racism, Social Equity, and the Law virtual public forum tomorrow, Monday, December 13, at 5:00 PM. They will discuss the intersection of structural racism, environmental injustice, housing discrimination, and economic opportunities. RSVP Here
Let's Talk About Congestion Pricing
What will congestion pricing mean for Northern Manhattan? It could have a tremendous impact on our community! Join us for a virtual roundtable discussion on Tuesday, December 14 at 6:00 PM. RSVP Here
New Member Orientation
Join us at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, December 15 for our new member orientation. If you became a member of WE ACT this year, we encourage you to attend. We’ll provide useful background information on our organization and its work as well as ways in which you can become more involved. RSVP Here
Take Action: MTA Mask Force
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is looking for volunteers to help handout masks at subway stations and bus stops on Friday, December 17. Learn More & Sign Up
January Membership Meeting: NYC Policies
Mark your calendar for 10:00 AM on Saturday, January 8 for our first Membership Meeting of 2022! Our focus will be on New York City policies and improvements we'd like to see from the new leadership. We’ll begin the meeting with breakout groups to discuss various policies and recommendations from the community and then we’ll have newly elected officials – representing Northern Manhattan as well as citywide offices – join us so that members and staff can ask them questions about how they will work to bring environmental justice to our city. RSVP Here
Take Action: Better Buildings & Reduced Emissions Across New York State
We’re poised to make significant progress in reducing building emissions here in New York City, but what about the rest of New York State? These emissions lead to nearly 2,000 premature deaths each year statewide. That is why we are asking you to call New York State Governor Kathy Hochul at 877-235-6537 and urge her to pledge to invest in better, greener, and healthier buildings at her 2022 State-of-the-State address in January. Read the letter our coalition sent her and then call to ask her to take these actions! Learn More
NYC Ballot Proposals
What happened with the New York City ballot proposals? In case you missed it on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network, you can watch the video replay of Represent NYC with Pamela Stewart-Martinez and other experts talking with Gotham Gazette’s Ben Max about the outcome of New York City’s ballot proposals. Watch Here
Take Action: Protect New York State's Freshwater Wetlands
We are supporting a campaign to ensure that New York State’s freshwater wetlands are protected from future development and climate threats. According to the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, more than 1 million acres of wetlands are vulnerable due to outdated laws and maps. Click here to send a letter to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul asking her to include funding to strengthen wetlands protection in her budget. Send Letter
COVID-19 Vaccinations: New York State Children Now Eligible to Win College Scholarships
With the rise in COVID-19 variants and the holiday season upon us, we encourage everyone to get vaccinated. And if you are already vaccinated, we encourage you to get a booster. Learn more here. And if you have children ages 5-11, your child can become eligible to receive a full scholarship to any of New York State’s public colleges and universities by getting vaccinated before December 19. Learn more about that program here. You can also find a testing location here.
Equity in New York Infrastructure
On November 16, Peggy Shepard participated in HNTB’s THINK Forum, a panel discussion on equity in New York's infrastructure. HNTB, the national infrastructure consultancy that hosted the event, has since released an executive summary of the discussion, and we thought you might be interested in reading it. You can download it here (PDF).
