March Membership Meeting: Learn What We're Doing for Northern Manhattan Down in Washington, DC And Meet Senator Schumer & Representative Espaillat
What is WE ACT’s Federal Policy Office doing down in Washington, DC? And how can it help you? To find out, join us tomorrow for our March Membership Meeting at 10:00 AM EST on Saturday, March 12.
We will have staff from our Federal Policy team walk us through the work they are doing on behalf of our community. We established that office in 2012, knowing that often the solutions we seek for Northern Manhattan require federal support and intervention, and that federal policies and programs often have an impact on communities like ours. RSVP here.
Both Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Representative Adriano Espaillat plan to join us!
WE ACT Working to Ensure New York's Transition to Solar Energy is Equitable
While we support many aspects of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Distributed Solar Roadmap, WE ACT submitted a number of detailed recommendations to the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) on how to make it more equitable and compliant with the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act. Read our letter to the PSC here and our press release here, as well as the coverage in Harlem World Magazine here and PV Magazine here.
New York State Leads with Race for Its CLCPA Implementation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation released its draft “Disadvantaged Communities” criteria which centers race in its guidance for the equitable implementation of the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Sonal Jessel serves as a member of the New York State Climate Justice Working Group that helped shape the state’s criteria, which will ensure that the CLCPA prioritizes communities of color when reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as well as providing economic development opportunities and clean energy and energy efficiency investments for these communities. It’s worth noting that the Biden administration has thus far avoided mentioning race in its criteria for identifying these communities for its Justice40 initiative, which was inspired by New York’s CLCPA. Read the announcement here.
Demanding Funding for Climate Justice in New York State
Our members and staff were up in Albany this week for the NYRenews Climate Justice Advocacy Day, asking elected officials to invest the $15 billion needed to fully fund the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act so that we can effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, improve energy efficiency and security, build renewable energy like solar and wind, and ensure that we get our fair share of the jobs this will create.
Help Us Lift the Burden of Utility Debt
While mask mandates are being lifted, far too many New Yorkers remain buried in utility debt. Collectively, residential customers across the state owe more than $1.5 billion in unpaid utility bills, and businesses owe another $600 million. The recent spikes – with many New Yorkers receiving bills that were double or triple what they normally pay – have only made it worse, and the war in Europe could push costs even further out of reach. That is why we are working to address the utility debt crisis here in New York. First off, you can download our utility debt brochure here (PDF), which is filled with helpful advice on how you can ease your burden. And then you can take action by signing this utility debt petition here.
WE ACT in the News
We stood with South Bronx Unite to demand a timetable for closing New York City’s “temporary” peaker plants that have been polluting the community for 20 years, contributing to some of the highest asthma rates in the nation. Peggy Shepard was among the speakers at the event. And City Limits was on hand to report the story, which you can read here.
We are also part of the Renewable Heat Now campaign, asking New York State Governor Kathy Hochul for $1 billion to fund affordable all-electric buildings. Lonnie Portis stressed the importance of ensuring that the communities hit hardest by climate change are part of this transition, which you can read here.
United Nations' Commission on the Status of Women WE ACT Participates in Climate Justice & Women's Health Events
Sophia Huda and Sonal Jessel are participating on a virtual National Congress of Neighborhood Women panel at 4:00 PM ET on Monday, March 14. The panel – The Neighborhood: Climate and Women’s Health – focuses on how neighborhood and grassroots community women in marginalized and low-income urban communities are collaborating to ensure their participation in creating sound and fair environmental health and protection policies and practices, and is being held in parallel with the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women. RSVP here.
Music for the Movement: The Orchestra of St. Luke's Free Concerts
The Orchestra of St. Luke’s have been performing a series of free concerts in all five boroughs as part of Earth Works: Music for Our Planet, classical works about our terrestrial world and its survival by Latin Grammy winner Gabriela Lena Frank. WE ACT staff will make special appearances at the Manhattan and Brooklyn concerts – on Friday, March 11 and Sunday, March 13, respectively – as will staff from the Climate Museum. Learn more and RSVP here.
Free Solar Job Training for Manhattan CB9 Residents
Thanks to the generous support of the West Harlem Development Corporation, we offering free solar installation training for residents of Manhattan Community Board 9. Participants will also receive training for the 30-Hour OSHA and 10-Hour Site Safety Training certifications. This is a great opportunity to break into the solar industry! Again, all applicants MUST reside in Manhattan Community Board 9 and attend the Zoom orientation meeting at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, March 22. Register here.
Annual Earth Day 5K Fun Run Early-Bird Registration
Take advantage of our limited-time, early-bird pricing - $25 plus free WE ACT membership - and sign up today for our annual Earth Day 5K fundraiser. Like much of our lives right now, it will be both virtual and in-person. Participants can run or walk five kilometers (3.1 miles) at a time and place of their choosing beginning on Earth Day, Friday, April 22. And on Sunday, May 1, we will have an in-person run and/or walk on Randall’s Island for those who want to participate in-person. You can register here. And if you are interested in sponsoring this great event, you can download our sponsorship brochure here (PDF). We hope you can join us to celebrate Earth Day, help raise funds for WE ACT, and run or walk for a healthier, greener community!
WE ACT's Membership Planning Committee Take a Leadership Role
Our Membership Planning Committee serves a leadership role in our membership and does a lot of the work planning and preparing for our Membership Meetings and other events. The committee also works toward more effective communication between the membership body and staff and helps set goals for membership participation. We are holding elections for this volunteer committee and encourage any member interested in becoming a candidate to please complete this form by Friday, May 6. Questions? Reach out to Bailey at [email protected].
The White House Council on Environmental Quality Announces Training & Listening Sessions for New Climate & Environmental Justice Screening Tool Please Register & Participate!
Today the White House Council on Environmental Quality announced a series of training webinars and public listening sessions for its new Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. We encourage you all to join the training to learn how to use this new resource and then provide feedback during one of the listening sessions. Let’s let them know what we think!
Training Webinars
Wednesday, March 16 at 4:00 PM ET; Register here.
Public Listening Sessions
Tuesday, March 22 at 4:00 PM ET; Register here.
Friday, April 15 at 4:00 PM ET; Register here.
Help Shape NYC Council Member De La Rosa's D10 Action Plan
New York City Council Member Carmen De La Rosa's Transition Team has transitioned into a co-governance group, creating partnerships between residents, local organizations, schools, community boards, community leaders, tenant associations, etc. to develop and implement a City Council District 10 Action Plan. If you live in the district and would like to join one of the committees, you can learn more and sign up here. And while I don’t want to interfere with your personal preferences, Soanl Jessel has signed up for the Environmental Justice Committee and LJ Portis has signed up for the Sanitation Committee – in case you want to know where the cool cats are at. But there are a bunch of different committees to choose from. Just be sure to sign up by Tuesday, March 22.
