Join the Fight to End Childhood Lead-Poisoning in New York: City Hall Press Conference and Rally
New York State leads the nation in childhood lead-poisoning cases, and homes with lead-based paint. Here in New York City, an average of 2,233 children test positive for elevated blood lead levels each year. And studies show that Black children living below the poverty line are twice as likely to suffer from lead poisoning as poor white or Latinx children. That is why WE ACT has been battling for years to pass and enforce legislation to eliminate this entirely preventable crisis. We have had some victories at both the city and the state level, but the fight is far from over. We encourage you to join us and the rest of the New York City Coalition to End Lead Poisoning on Thursday, August 11 at 9:00 AM in City Hall Park for a press conference to advocate for new legislation and program changes that can finally end childhood lead-poisoning in New York City! Checkout the coalition’s Roadmap to Eliminating Lead Poisoning in New York City. And RSVP here to join us.
Join the NYC Zero Waste Rally
New York City tosses out 14 million tons of trash each year. That’s the equivalent of 76 million pounds of garbage each day. And we spend more than $2 billion annually to dispose of it. We need to change that, so come join us for the Zero Waste Rally at 10:00 AM in City Hall Park on Thursday, August 11. Help us advance five bills designed to get NYC closer to zero waste. Learn more and RSVP here.
WE ACT's 2022 Gala: Save the Date for Our In-Person Celebration
Yes, folks, our 2022 Gala will be in-person! Join us from 6:00-9:00 PM at International House on Thursday, October 27 to celebrate all of this year’s achievements at our annual Gala! After two years of Zoomed Galas, this will be a special one that you don't want to miss. We’ll be honoring Dr. Beverly L. Wright, Founder and Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice; Jessica Ottney Mahar, New York Director of Policy & Strategy at The Nature Conservancy; and Mychal Johnson, Co-Founder of South Bronx Unite. Mark your calendar and RSVP here.
The Problem with the Proposed Permitting Reform Text
Last week we shared our response to the Inflation Reduction Act. And when text of the proposed permitting reform came to our retention, we raised the alarm because it appears to favor companies while sidelining communities in the permitting process, undermining one of the most important aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act. If corporations, and those who cater to their every whim, want to expedite the permitting review process, then they should support our call for adequate funding to ensure the reviews can be done effectively, efficiently, and fairly in a timely manner – as opposed to simply limiting the time frame. Read our response here, and read Dana Johnson’s comments in Inside EPA here.
FERC Approved the Expansion of Freeport LNG Why That's a Really Bad Decision
We are among the organizations that opposed the expansion of export capacity at Freeport LNG, a massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Texas that exploded 8 weeks ago. Beyond the obvious safety concerns (such as the aforementioned explosion), the facility poses a threat to the health of the local community and environment. Read our response here.
Take Our Cosmetics Survey Help Shape Our Beauty Inside Out Campaign
As a part of our Beauty Inside Out campaign, we are surveying girls and femme-identifying people of color between 13-17 years of age that live in Northern Manhattan (West Harlem, Central Harlem, East Harlem, Inwood, and Washington Heights). The survey will help us better understand how girls and femme-identifying people of color use and feel about certain types of cosmetic products and how this might affect their health.
The survey takes 15-20 minutes, and respondents that complete the survey will receive a $6 Subway Restaurant gift card. If you are between the ages of 13-17, parental permission is required. And since the pandemic interrupted our survey, we should note that anyone who already took the survey is not eligible.
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.
Problems at the Pump What’s Behind the Gas Prices & What Should Be Done About It
Why have gasoline prices been so high, and what should the government do about it? Our Federal Energy and Transportation Policy Intern Madeleine Zaritsky takes an in-depth look at what’s fueling high prices at the pump. Read her blog post here.
Dana Johnson spoke to Bloomberg about the Inflation Reduction Act, noting that there are clear benefits for environmental justice communities as well as clear concerns. Read the article here or the excerpt below.
EXCERPT: Disadvantaged communities “experience an unconscionable exposure to all of things that this bill works to address, so we are pleased to see that members of Congress went back to the negotiating table and really worked on putting together a package that could address environmental justice and climate,” said Dana Johnson, Senior Director of Strategy and Federal Policy for WE ACT for Environmental Justice. But more offshore drilling, along with incentives for carbon capture and storage, nuclear energy, and biofuels “are all sensitive issues for frontline communities.”
Dana Johnson was also quoted in the Gotham Gazette on our reaction to the Inflation Reduction Act, detailing some of our concerns for environmental justice communities. Read the article here or the excerpt below.
EXCERPT: Dana Johnson, Senior Director of Strategy and Federal Policy at WE ACT for Environmental Justice, noted in a statement that the bill would deliver “once-in-a-generation investments needed to make communities of color and areas of low income healthier, cleaner, and economically viable.” But Johnson expressed concerns about provisions of the bill for offshore oil drilling, carbon capture, nuclear energy, hydrogen, and logging on public lands. “These line items continue practices that are not aligned with centering overburdened communities in decision-making or transitioning away from fossil fuels,” Johnson said. “These credits can be more effectively invested in renewable energy generation and other programs that ensure an energy transition that protects people and addresses climate change.”
Dana Johnson spoke to Inside EPA about the proposed permitting reform text and how it favors corporations over communities. Instead of limiting the length of NEPA reviews, she recommends increasing funding to have more effective reviews to expedite the process. Read the article here or the excerpt below.
EXCERPT: But Dana Johnson, Senior Director of Strategy and Federal Policy at WE ACT for Environmental Justice, expresses grave concern over the permitting plan. She says it is “designed to permanently erode an important tool for democratizing federal projects in communities of color and areas of low income while also prolonging our reliance on fossil fuels.” With communities sidelined, “corporations will be able to speed up their process without considering environmental justice or offering alternative approaches.” Further, she notes the reconciliation measure would appropriate hundreds of millions of dollars to boost NEPA implementation at the Interior Department, Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. “We’re working to solve the wrong problem” when steps are taken to speed environmental reviews, Johnson argues. Instead, she calls for “robust funding for agencies to do NEPA in a meaningful way.” Her group, like many others, also opposes new fossil fuel projects, and while she acknowledges the political realities and the need for compromise, “it would be disingenuous to say that’s not a concern.”
Peggy Shepard joined US Representative Adriano Espaillat and Medgar Evers College Associate Professor Wallace Ford on WHCR 90.3 FM’s Soul Lounge Primetime to discuss the current state of politics and how we can best move forward. Watch the replay here.
Annie Carforo was featured in a Gothamist article on New York State’s stalled climate legislation, including the Building Public Renewables Act and the All-Electric Buildings Act. Read the article here.
In Harlem World Magazine, Lonnie Portis weighed in on Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine’s plan to create an additional protected bike lane on the West Side Highway to ease congestion. The extra lane will be extended north of 57th Street as part of Phase 2 of the plan. Read the article here, and sign the online petition to support the plan.
Peggy Shepard to Give Address at Green City Force's Graduation Ceremony
Peggy Shepard will be the keynote speaker at Green City Force’s graduation ceremony at 10:00 AM on Monday, August 8. For the first time in two years, the event will be held in-person, at Roulette Intermedium at 509 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. Learn more here.
Environmental Justice 101 Peggy Shepard & Bailey to Help Develop the Next Generation
Peggy Shepard and Bailey will speak with participants of Start:Empowerment & Sustainable Brooklyn’s Redefining Justice in the Climate Movement summer school program for youth at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, August 9, providing them with an overview of environmental justice and how they can get involved. Learn more here.
Peggy Shepard to Speak at
Harlem Week Climate Event
At 6:00 PM on Wednesday, August 10, Peggy Shepard will be among the speakers discussing how can community residents and organizations can work with local businesses, schools, and government to address the climate crisis. This Harlem Week event is a follow-up to the Earth Day panel hosted by the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, Columbia Climate School, and the City College of New York that focused on the impacts of climate change in our community. In addition to Peggy, the speakers include New York State Senator Cordell Cleare (D-30); Columbia University’s Special Advisor, Climate & Sustainability Daniel Zarrilli; Columbia University School of Social Work Associate Professor Courtney Cogburn; and the Nature Conservancy’s New York Division Cities Director Emily Maxwell. This will be an in-person event at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building’s 2nd Floor Art Gallery, which is located at 163 West 125th Street (at the corner of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard). Learn more and RSVP here.
Energy vs. Power: Visions for the Future University of Maryland’s Symposium on Environmental Justice & Health Disparities
Join Dr. Sacoby Wilson, Director of the Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, & Health Center at the University of Maryland, for the 8th Annual Symposium on Environmental Justice and Health Disparities on August 11-13. This year’s theme is Energy vs. Power: Visions for the Future. Peggy Shepard is among the amazing list of speakers (PDF). August 11-12 will be virtual, and the August 13 sessions will be held in-person at the University of Maryland’s campus in College Park, Maryland. Click here to learn more and register.
Are You New to WE ACT? Join Our Online New Member Orientation Session
We will be providing a virtual orientation for new members and those looking to learn more about WE ACT and the work we do. Join us at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, August 24. RSVP here.
Youth Block Party in Washington Heights
In celebration of International Youth Day, our friends at Futures Ignite are hosting their annual Youth Block Party on Thursday, August 11 from 10:30 AM - 3:00 PM at 511 West 182nd Street, between Audubon and Amsterdam Avenues. We’ll be there, joining Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School (WHEELS) students, alumni, family, teachers, and staff in this celebration. RSVP here.
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.
Get Debt Relief
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.
WE ACT Will Help
If you are interested in enrolling, sign up here for help in navigating this process. You can also contact Briana Carbajal at [email protected].
Urban Ecology in Washington Heights
Our friends at Futures Ignite have teamed up with Columbia University’s Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology and the New York Restoration Project to lead the Urban Ecology in The Heights summer research program, in which students from the Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School (WHEELS) conducted community-based urban ecology research in Highbridge Park and Sherman Creek. Join them at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, August 10 for a virtual community forum where the students will present their summer research findings and will help connect the dots between community science and advocacy for environmental justice in Washington Heights. RSVP here.
Help Us Fight for Environmental Justice
As you may have noticed, the WE ACT team has been growing. More on that in the future. Right now, we need your help to continue this growth. We are looking to hire the following positions:
In our New York City office:
Director of Environmental Health
Energy Justice Policy Specialist
Bilingual Community Organizer
In our Washington, DC office
National Coalition Manager
Federal Regulatory Affairs Manager (Attorney)
Clean Air & Water Policy Manager (Attorney)
Senior Communications Manager
Environmental Justice Research Analyst
Visit weact.org/careers to download the job descriptions and apply for any of these positions. Join our team!
