WE ACT Joins Rally in DC to Stop Manchin's Dirty Deal
Hundreds of people turned out Thursday in Washington, DC to demand an end to Senator Joe Manchin's proposed federal permitting reforms that would benefit the fossil fuel industry and the Mountain Valley pipeline threatening Indigenous and other frontline communities in Appalachia.
Naadiya Hutchinson spoke on behalf of WE ACT at the rally: "The more we allow inequities to continue, the more vulnerable we all become...Allowing for one group to be sacrificed is allowing for ALL of us to be sacrificed."
Prior to the rally, delegations from frontline communities across the country spent the day lobbying Congress members, sharing their stories, and urging their Representatives to oppose Manchin’s deal. If passed, this legislation would fast-track pipeline projects, gut bedrock environmental protections, threaten tribal authority, and exacerbate the crisis we find ourselves in. We believe the legislation could be introduced as soon as next week, so it’s important to ramp up the pressure! Call your representatives to demand that they do all they can to block Senator Manchin’s “permitting” proposal.
WE ACT also joined 122 other organizations in an open letter to House and Senate leadership to demand they reject the legislation that's part of a side deal favored by Senator Manchin in exchange for his vote for the Inflation Reduction Act.
Photos courtesy of Adrien Salazar, Policy Director at the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance.
TOMORROW: September Membership Meeting
Join us at 10:00 AM on Saturday, September 10 for our September Membership meeting. While we had hoped to have the meeting in person, unfortunately we will not be able to do so and this month's meeting will again be virtual.
We will be talking about New York State’s critical new Clean Water, Clean Air, Green Jobs Bond Act, up for vote this November. This ballot initiative is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to advance environmental justice in New York. We’ll walk you through the Bond Act so you will have a better understanding of what it is designed to accomplish.
What are the impacts of toxins in fashion and beauty products? Join us for a webinar at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, Sept. 13 during which industry and academic experts will expand our understanding of toxic exposure in fashion and beauty. Speakers include fashion designer Kevin Black; Hilary Jochmans, President of Jochmans Consulting and Founder of PoliticallyInFashion; Dr. Andrew Burgie, Assistant Research Scientist & Assistant Adjunct Professor at New York University; Dr. Jasmine McDonald, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Join us and the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance on September 15 & 16, 2022 to celebrate 20 years of environmental justice in New Jersey and the second anniversary of the passage of the New Jersey Environmental Justice Law! This two-day event will include panel and roundtable discussions on local and national EJ campaigns, breakfast and lunch on both days, a networking mixer, and NJEJA’s 20th Anniversary Celebration on Friday Evening (held at the Crowne Plaza in Princeton). Registration is now open and spaces are limited so sign up soon!
Climate Week is just around the corner and new ads are popping up around the city featuring Peggy! If you spot one of Peggy's ads, let us know! Email us at [email protected].
Governor Hochul sitting on Cumulative Impacts Bill: Briana Carbajal spoke to NYU about the necessity of passing this critical bill. Despite passing the New York legislature with strong support, Governor Hochul has yet to sign the New York Cumulative Impacts Bill, championed by WE ACT, and needed to protect environmental justice communities from the compounded effects of harmful environmental projects.
Jackson's water emergency exposes a dilemma for Biden: The ongoing water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi is a prime example of environmental racism, climate change, and disinvestment coming together to create a crisis. The Biden administration wants to funnel more money to environmental justice communities like Jackson, but Republican state governments are a major obstacle.
Why heat waves become deadly: Heatwaves are the deadliest impact of climate change and disproportionately affect communities of color. Check out this podcast episode of The Carbon Copy about extreme heat featuring Sonal Jessel.
Climate chief Gina McCarthy leaving White House as John Podesta returns: Peggy Shepard weighs in on this Politico article about McCarthy's exit from the White House.
WE ACT's 2022 Gala In-Person!
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! After two years of zoom 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.
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.
Now Hiring: Help Us Fight for Environmental Justice!
As you may have noticed, the WE ACT team has been growing and 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)
Policy Director, Clean Air & Water (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!
