Early voting for New York's June 28 Primary Election begins on Saturday, June 18. Watch the video replay of our June Membership Meeting or visit our Voter Information page to learn what you need to know. And get out and vote!
Uptown Chats: Welcome to WE ACT
Here’s your chance to learn more about WE ACT, the work we do, and the people who are doing it. Join us at 6:00 PM on Thursday, June 23. Come learn about our programs and policy agenda, and how you can get involved in the upcoming months. Speakers will include Peggy Shepard, our Co-Founder and Executive Director; Sonal Jessel, our Director of Policy; and Bailey, our Manager of Membership and Organizing. RSVP here.
Team Up to Help Clean Up Harlem
Join us for Team Up to Clean Up on Saturday, June 25 at 10:00 AM as we come together to tackle trash in our community. Read about it in Harlem World Magazine and sign up here. Cleaning supplies will be provided. And we thank West Harlem Development Corporation for funding this event!
PowerUp NYC Community Town Hall Help Shape the City’s Energy Future
PowerUp NYC is a year-long energy study seeking your input to help shape New York City’s Long-Term Energy Plan for achieving a just energy transition by 2050. We are hosting the Manhattan Community Town Hall on behalf of the New York City Mayor's Office of Climate & Environmental Justice. Join us online at 6:00 PM on Monday, June 27 and share your thoughts. RSVP here, and make your voice heard!
Member BBQ: Mark Your Calendar
Mark your calendar for our Member BBQ. We’ll be gathering at 155 West 142nd Street for our annual barbecue from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM on Saturday, July 16. RSVP here.
Annie Carforo to Moderate AIA Panel on the Electrification of Affordable Housing
At 6:00 PM on Wednesday, June 22, Annie Carforo will moderate the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter’s Equity in Electrification: Electrification of Affordable Housing, a panel discussion about New York City’s Local Law 154 (Gas Free NYC) and the equitable electrification of buildings. RSVP here.
Sonal Jessel Panels on Policies & Practices to Address Extreme Heat
Sonal Jessel will participate in the Environmental and Energy Study Institute’s Living with Climate Change series panel on Extreme Heat: Policies to Anticipate Threats and Build Preparedness at 12:00 PM on Friday, June 24. RSVP here.
VIDEO REPLAY: Watch Our June Membership Meeting
In case you missed it, our June Membership Meeting discussed New York State’s June 28 Primary Election as well as New York City’s Fair Fares program. Watch the video replay here.
VIDEO REPLAY: Watch Our Cumulative Impacts Webinar
In case you missed the webinar we hosted with Clean and Healthy New York, the JustGreen Partnership, and South Bronx Unite celebrating the passage of New York’s Cumulative Impacts bill (S.8830/A.2103C) and its potential significance for the environmental justice movement, you can watch the video replay here. It features a panel of national environmental justice leaders including Peggy Shepard; Mychal Johnson, Co-Founder of South Bronx Unite; Dr. Robert Bullard, Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy and Director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice; and Dr. Nicky Sheats, Director of the Center for the Urban Environment at the John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean University and founding member of the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance.
Watch the Top Mini-Doc from the WHEELS Environmental Justice Expo
The Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School’s (WHEELS) Environmental Justice Mini-Documentary Film Expo was a smashing success! WHEELS high school seniors showcased their mini-docs and a panel of expert judges selected the prize winners. Peggy Shepard, one of the esteemed judges, is pictured above with the Palme d'Or team, who captured the top honors for their documentary on toxics in personal care products. Watch their film here.
As City Limits reported, Lonnie Portis was among those testifying before the New York City Council on the need to expedite the phaseout of #4 heating oil.
Sonal Jessel was quoted in Crain’s New York Business and Habitat Magazine calling out the New York State legislature for failing to pass bold climate initiatives this year, despite the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change saying that is exactly what is needed.
And a 2021 CNN story on extreme heat that featured Sonal Jessel was shared again this week in response to the heatwave that gripped much of the nation. She described extreme heat as a “risk-multiplier" for low-income communities or communities of color that bear the brunt of multiple hardships.
New York Providing Utility Debt Relief for Low-Income Households
As you may recall, we have been advocating for utility debt relief because more than 1 million New Yorkers are struggling to pay their utility bills. This crisis has hit low-income communities and communities of color the hardest, as they must spend a disproportionate amount of their household income on utility bills. And with the COVID-19 pandemic hitting these same communities the hardest, it’s not surprising that many have found themselves behind on their utility bills.
We have some good news to report! Thanks to the New York State Public Service Commission, Governor Kathy Hochul, and the State Legislature, $250 million will be distributed to those in need, helping pay down household utility debt. Current utility customers participating in the Energy Affordability Program (EAP) will receive a one-time bill credit that eliminates arrears accrued through May 1, 2022. But if you are in a low-income household that is not already enrolled in your utility’s EAP program, you can still enroll to receive this credit. If you are a low-income household interested in enrolling, contact our Climate Justice Team at [email protected] and they can help guide you through the process.
Bus Changes Along 125th Street
Our resident New York City transit expert, Bailey, wanted to share some changes that will take effect on Sunday, June 26. The MTA has redesigned the Bronx bus network, which will also impact many of our Northern Manhattan community members. These changes include the new M125 route across 125th Street: MTA M125 bus timetable (PDF). This replaces the BX15 along the 125th Street corridor, MTA BX15 bus timetable (PDF). The same is true of the M100 route, MTA M100 bus timetable (PDF), which will now terminate at 125th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue. The full list of changes can be found here: MTA Bronx Bus Schedules.
Sunday is Juneteenth
Sunday is Juneteenth, and Derrick Bryson Taylor’s article in the New York Times provides an in-depth look at the history and significance of this holiday. Our offices will be closed on Monday, June 20 to commemorate Juneteenth.
