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April Monthly Meeting - NYC Electric School Buses: Ready to Roll?
Note New Meeting Date: TUESDAY, APRIL 12 AT 7:30 PM EDT
Last year the New York City Council passed a bill committing to electrify the city’s electric school bus fleet by 2035. Are we on track to meet that goal? What are the obstacles? And how can we move forward? Lauren Kesner O'Brien, program manager for Empire Clean Cities, and Tevin Grant, founder of Evolv-Electric, will share their insights. You must pre-register using this link.
PLEASE NOTE: Beginning with this meeting, we are changing our monthly meeting to the second Tuesday of the month rather than the second Thursday.
Volunteer to testify on Local Law 97, the “Dirty Buildings Law”
Wednesday, April 13, 10:30 am
On Wednesday April 13, at 10:30am the New York City Council Committee on Environmental Protection, helmed by the ever-exuberant CM James Gennaro, will hold an oversight hearing on the status of Local Law 97 (LL97). LL97, aka 'The Dirty Buildings Law', will reduce emissions from buildings and is the city's most critical piece of climate legislation - but it is at risk of being watered down by lack of enforcement and the REBNY-funded Mayor Adams' slashing of city jobs. This hearing represents an opportunity for citizens and climate groups to get some answers about the law's implementation and to push for its enforcement. How can you help? We have adapted a talking points document from our coalition partners and we invite you to immerse yourself in it, read an article or two on your own, then sign up to testify on Zoom or in writing! Come stand up with us!
Send Off the Bikers!
Saturday, April 16, 9:30 am Battery Park, Manhattan
During Earth Week, a group of Climate Can't Wait activists will bike the Empire State Trail from the tip of Manhattan all the way to Albany. There will be rallies to greet them all along their route, beginning with a great send-off on Saturday, April 16, in Battery Park. They will end up riding into Albany on Earth Day, Friday, April 22, where we will be there to greet them (see next story.) Join us for this family-friendly rally to cheer them on their way!
Albany Earth Day, Because Climate Can't Wait!
Friday, April 22, 11 am to 2 pm
As part of Climate Can't Wait 2022, 350Brooklyn has been lobbying, calling, and tweeting to press our Legislature to pass a package of good climate bills. Now it's time to make some good noise in person! Sign up to go to Albany on Earth Day to tell the governor and the legislature that "Climate Can't Wait!" Register here. Want a ride? Sign up for a free bus. See you there!
Wall Street's Moment of Truth! Join Stop the Money Pipeline actions!
Join us in supporting the national STMP "Wall Street's Moment of Truth: People or Fossil Fuels" campaign as we put up posters, deliver letters to bank managers, email and call bank executives, and more! Tell the banks not to build a plastics plant in Louisiana and to divest from fossil fuels! Email us at [email protected] to join our mailing list and keep in touch with upcoming actions! Get ideas for how to participate at in #defundclimatechaos toolkit.
Divest 529 College Savings Accounts From Fossil Fuels!
Putting money in a 529 (college savings) account should be an investment in a child's future, not in the destruction of their future. Sadly that is not the case in NY State - there are no 529 account options that don't invest in fossil fuel companies. Right now the state comptroller's office is deciding whether to extend its 529 Plan contract with Vanguard. It's time to include some fossil-free language in that contract! Sign to support fossil-free 529 accounts!
Climate Chat: A Chance to Connect
April 23, 2 pm at Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza
How can we turn the grief, anger and fear surrounding the climate crisis into sources of action and joy in our communities? This event, a collaboration with Brooklyn Public Library, will help us connect with our climate-concerned neighbors and develop plans for making a difference. We’ll each identify an aspect of the climate crisis that matters to us, explore resources dealing with that concern, and brainstorm a game plan for action. Bring your curiosity, openness, and some hope. You don’t need any prior knowledge of climate science or the climate movement, just a desire to make a meaningful difference in your community. Space is limited so we encourage you to register in advance. All attendees will need to sign in before the event begins. If you are not feeling well the day of the event, you should not attend.
Join The Power Hour Team, Phone Bank for Climate Justice
Monday April 18, Wednesday April 20, 12 to 1, From Home
Join us on Mondays - and sometimes Wednesdays - from 12-1 for Power Hour where we call, tweet, and email our legislators to push for specific climate bills.
On Monday, April 18th we will continue our campaign for the New York State Teachers' Fossil Fuel Divestment Act to divest the retirement system of any stocks, assets, or other obligations included on an exclusion list of coal producers and oil and gas producers. ** Join also for a special evening session at 8:30 for parents, educators, and students, using this sign up.
On Wednesday, April 20th we will continue to Power Hour on the Divest NY push - and also tell our legislators to shake loose our Electric School Bus and Electric Transit funding!
Can't make it for Power Hour? Sign our Local Law 97 Petition and help us reach 200 signatures!
In Case You Missed It! Our Podcast, “Climate Check”, Returns with Eco-Art: Plastics in Motion
Climate Check: Stories and Solutions, 350Brooklyn's podcast, has released its fifth episode, "Eco-Art: Plastics in Motion." This episode features Lynn Neuman, artistic director of Artichoke Dance, 350Brooklyn Steering Committee member, and part of the Gowanus Neighborhood Coalition for Justice. Find our podcast on your favorite platform here. Stay tuned for our next episode, featuring Jan Thompson of 350BK's Plastic Free Working Group, set to release on Tuesday, April 19th.
Testify! Ensure a Renewable Energy Future and a Just Transition for New York!
How can we make sure that we fulfill the promise of our NYS Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act? The Climate Action Council is developing recommendations for implementation, called a Scoping Plan. We must make sure the Climate Action Council produces the strongest recommendations possible. Your voice matters! Here's our latest guide to testifying–this one is on Transportation issues. And now we have a web page, which has guides for commenting on other issues! You can find one-click comments from NY Renews and prompts for writing your own testimony. We want to flood the CAC with comments, so comment often!
Run For Your Lives! A Fund-Raiser for 350Brooklyn.
Sunday, May 15 8:30-10:30
Join 350Brooklyn on May 15th in Prospect Park for “Run For Your Lives”, as we run, jog, walk or stroll to address the climate crisis! This will be a great opportunity to meet other 350Brooklyn members, talk with like-minded people, and have fun while enjoying the park. The race begins at 8:30 am if you plan to walk and later if you're running. Meet inside the Bartel-Pritchard Park entrance at Prospect Park West and 15th St. After the race, join us for a little after party! 350Brooklyn's own Eco-Tones will perform, and there will be light refreshments, a raffle, and 350Bk t-shirts for sale. Invite your family and friends! Register here!
NEWS FROM OUR FRIENDS AND ALLIES
MEDIA, DO YOUR JOBS: TELL THE TRUTH MARCH
Friday, April 15, 12:30 PM
It's a Don't Look Up moment when mainstream news outlets like NBC News and ABC News rarely cover climate change—even as the latest IPCC report detailed the horrors of the catastrophe to come if we do not stop climate pollution NOW. Join us on April 15th at 12:30 at Rockefeller Center to demand that ABC News and NBC News (the two most-watched news shows in the country), immediately start prioritizing the biggest story of our times! Tell us you are coming here.
Celebrate Earth Day all month long by joining fellow New Yorkers in signing up for DSNY's curbside composting program!
The program has returned to Brooklyn Community Boards 1,2,6, and 7! Already signed up? Share the sign-up form on social or send it to a neighbor! Food scraps account for 21% of New York City's waste. We spend millions of dollars every year to send organic waste to landfills out of state where it decomposes into greenhouse gasses. Composting organic matter is critical to our city and to our climate. So sign up today and spread the word!
Leaking Havoc — Climate-Friendly Supermarkets
April 12, 6-7 pm, April 12 & 13, 7-8 pm
350NYC is organizing a citizen's science project to detect leaks of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants in local supermarkets. The action is in collaboration with the Environmental Investigative Agency. Metering Action Training is on April 12th from 6-7pm at the Ethical Culture Society (4 West 64th St.) and the Supermarket training is on April 12th and 13th from 7-8pm. If you are interested in this exciting action, please fill out the doodle poll with ALL of your availability.
Also, we are looking for a point person for Brooklyn supermarkets. If interested, please email Margaret Perkins at 350NYC
Employment Opportunities
From time to time allied organizations reach out to 350Brooklyn when they want to fill a climate-related position. We are happy to pass these along. Here's one from North Brooklyn Neighbors. And here's another with several openings from Citizen Action NY/.
Get involved in one of our workgroups!
350Brooklyn is volunteer-powered. At the heart of these efforts are our campaigns and committees. Follow the links below for more information on how to join.
City Action Committee’s mission is to make Brooklyn and New York City leaders not only in climate policy but also in the long-term actions and engagement needed to make those policies effective. Current campaigns include The Renewable Rikers Act, Fighting Peaker Plants, Electric School Buses, and the Department of Sustainability and Climate Change. Use this google form to connect with City Action.
The Climate Idea Exchange works to deepen public understanding of the climate crisis, breaking it down into manageable topics and showing how to take action locally. We work both independently and in collaboration with Brooklyn Public Library, and we're developing a podcast series. email [email protected].
350BK Families organizes activities that bring children, youth, and their adults together for the climate. Current projects include pushing for the creation of 529 college savings plans that are free of fossil fuel investments. email [email protected].
Gowanus Neighborhood Coalition for Justice is a diverse coalition focused on equity, inclusion, justice, and economic and environmental sustainability. 350Brooklyn is part of this coalition, which is working to ensure that the rezoning of the Gowanus area honors the needs of all community members. email [email protected].
Legislation focuses on federal and New York State climate legislation. Current campaigns are NY Renews (to pass the Climate Community Investment Act), the Green New Deal, and stopping the repowering of the Gowanus power plant (with 350BK's City Action). email [email protected].
The Media Committee is 350Brooklyn's all-around in-house media team. This group writes press releases and promotional copy, creates graphics, keeps tabs on 350BK's social media presence, and runs the new 350BK blog. email [email protected].
Stop the Money Pipeline plans and participates in direct actions that pressure financial institutions to stop funding deforestation and fossil fuel industries. We are part of a national movement targeting New York-based corporations, including Chase Bank and BlackRock Investment Management. email [email protected].
Plastic Free works to eliminate plastic pollution and reduce reliance on single-use plastic products. We meet via Zoom to work on a variety of projects including legislative lobbying efforts, campaigns promoting going plastic free, and neighborhood efforts to reduce waste. email [email protected].
No time but able to donate? While we are an affiliate of 350.org, we are programmatically independent and our financial support comes solely from our members. Can you offer financial support, at any level? Donate here.
