Tonight! October Monthly Meeting: Rethinking and Reclaiming Our Streets
Tuesday, October 11th, 7:30 pm EDT
New York City’s current street plan favors cars over people—bringing us air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and peril for pedestrians. Join our October meeting to learn how we can create a more walkable, bikeable, accessible city for all of us with public spaces that are people-friendly instead of traffic-friendly. Our guest and speaker for this meeting will be Elizabeth Adams, Senior Director of Advocacy and Organizing at Transportation Alternatives. The meeting will be held on Zoom and you can register here!
Blame Wall Street Halloween Parade!
October 15th, 11:00 am EDT
Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY, Under the Arch
Trick or treat! Join 350Brooklyn’s Stop the Money Pipeline group and Climate Families NYC on Saturday, October 15th for a parade where we’ll blame Wall Street for funding the climate crisis! In costume and with music to accompany us, we’ll march from Grand Army Plaza to the branches of three blameworthy banks, demanding an end to their financing of fossil fuel extraction and widespread environmental destruction. Click here for more information, and to sign up!
Vote Yes on Proposition 1, The Environmental Bond Act is on the November Ballot!
This upcoming election, we have a chance to pass a clean water, clean air, and green jobs Environmental Bond Act. This act will provide funds for water systems, flood control, and stemming run-off from farms. It will also install renewable energy systems in publicly-funded buildings, public schools and colleges, and fund electric school buses. It will enable purchasing of lands for conservation and expand our public parks. It will also promote environmental justice, as thirty-five to forty percent of its funds will be allocated to disadvantaged communities. It is even projected to generate nearly one hundred thousand new jobs! Election Day is November 8th. Vote early if you can, and Vote yes on Proposition 1!
Join The Power Hour Team 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT, Every Monday and Wednesday
and by Popular Demand, Our New Evening Power Hour, Tuesdays at 6:00 pm EDT
Join us this Tuesday, October 11th at 6:00 pm EDT and Wednesday October 12th at 12:00 pm EDT. We'll be writing and submitting testimony in support of City Council Resolution 169, which demands the strongest possible scoping plan to help New York State meet the mandates of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The resolution includes measures that make progress towards environmental justice. This is a bonus action for those who have already written testimony demanding that New York reject National Grid's rate hike for more fossil fuel infrastructure!
The highly anticipated proposed rules for Local Law 97 have come out. We have thirty days to process, write testimony, and sign up for its public hearing on November 14th. Local Law 97 is one of the most ambitious urban climate laws in the world, requiring large buildings to become energy efficient. New Yorkers have an opportunity to lead global climate policy, but we need to kick things into high gear to make it happen. If you’ve been waiting for an “all hands on deck” moment, this is it! Join us on Monday, October 17th at 12:00 pm EDT, Tuesday, October 18th at 6:00 pm EDT, and/or Wednesday, October 19th at 12:00 pm EDT to write your own testimony and contact our council members to testify. We'll also keep making calls to stop Manchin’s dirty permitting deal and support Zero Waste legislation in the New York City Council.
Sign up for Power Hour here and have no fear! You will get a bulletin in advance and we’ll guide you through everything. If for some reason you don’t get the bulletin and you are raring to go, please reach out to [email protected]
New to 350Brooklyn? Come to Our Orientation
Tuesday, October 18th, 7:00 pm EDT
Do you want to get involved in climate action, but aren’t sure where to start? Come to our monthly welcome orientation session where experienced members of 350Brooklyn will help newcomers find your way. There's a lot going on and we need people with all sorts of talents who want to make a difference! Our session will last around a half hour or until you run out of questions! Register here! Come one, come all! For more information, email us at [email protected].
New Member Orientation for the City Action Committee!
Wednesday, October 19th at 7:00 pm EDT
Join group member David Rysdahl for a forty-five minute Zoom orientation session on 350Brooklyn’s City Action Committee and its various campaigns. The City Action Committee focuses on developing events, partnerships, and strategies to enact climate action at the local level. We enlist volunteers for definitive calls to action involving direct advocacy, signing petitions, writing op-eds, or playing lovely music with our in-house band, the Eco-Tones! They’re just getting started and could use more bandmates! What happens in New York City at a local level can reverberate around the country! Sign up here and a Zoom link will be sent to you the day before the session. Please contact David at [email protected] with any questions.
People vs. Fossil Fuel Campaign Kick Off at the November 350Brooklyn Meeting
Tuesday, November 15th, 7:30 pm EDT
350Brooklyn has received a grant to support our work on the People vs. Fossil Fuels campaign. At our November meeting, we will meet the leaders of this campaign, learn about its mission, and see an outstanding new film called Dear President Biden. This film takes stock of the climate movement, its leaders, and frontline communities that are fighting for their lives. Put it on your calendar -- you don't want to miss it!
The Climate Movement Scores a Major Victory!
Thanks to the unified voices of climate activists across the United States, a recent attempt by Senator Joe Manchin to greenlight building new fossil fuel pipelines was halted in Congress. 350Brooklyn, along with climate activists nation-wide, contacted our members of Congress and local officials, many of whom responded by openly opposing this measure. The resistance to this effort was nothing short of stunning, and we extend our thanks and gratitude to everyone who joined in and fought back. Senator Manchin’s support of the Inflation Reduction Act was conditional on including “permit reform” in the bill’s language. As such, we have no doubt that fossil fuel interests will be back in Congress to push these highly unpopular measures again. For now, let’s take pride and comfort in the power of our movement. If we can do it once, we can do it again!
350Brooklyn is Hiring! Part-time Administrative Assistant Position Available
Play a key role in supporting 350Brooklyn’s mission of fighting the climate crisis by providing vital support as an administrative assistant for our Steering Committee! The position calls for ten hours per week at an hourly rate of $21.00 USD. The work is entirely remote and the schedule is flexible. We’re looking for a person of integrity with basic database, archival, and social media skills. The ideal candidate has good communication skills, is willing to help new members find their niche in the group, and can work with only modest supervision. Availability for key evening meetings and knowledge of Google Docs is a must. Click here for a detailed job description. To apply, send your cover letter and resume to Sara at [email protected].
Join the Climate Check Team!
Over the past year, the team behind 350Brooklyn’s podcast Climate Check has produced some marvelous content. Each episode features an interview with a guest confronting a climate-related issue in their community, and discusses how they are implementing solutions using their talents and the tools at their disposal. The Climate Check team has many more episodes in the works, but could use some help to bring them to life. Do you have audio engineering skills? Can you help with mastering and editing recordings? Are you a marketing aficionado? A project management expert? Can you research topics for new episodes? If so, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to [email protected] if you’re interested. Time commitments are flexible and we're happy to work with you to figure out how to fit Climate Check into your schedule.
350Brooklyn Monthly Meetings, We're Mixing it Up
Like most of you, Zoom has kept 350Brooklyn going over the last couple of years. Zoom meetings are easy to attend and convenient when we have a speaker with slides or a video to show us. Simultaneously, in-person meetings make it easier to build relationships and collaborate as teammates. Following the success of our in-person meeting in September, the Steering Committee has decided that we will do a bit of both going forward. Our monthly meetings will be on Tuesday nights on Zoom some months, and in-person on Thursday nights other months. Meeting notifications will always be posted in this newsletter and the homepage of 350Brooklyn’s website. Regardless of format, they are always worthwhile and we hope to see you there in any way, shape, or form!
ICYMI - Listen to Climate Check's Newest Episode, "Work to be Done, Joy to be Made"
It’s the first anniversary of 350Brooklyn’s podcast, Climate Check, and we’re switching things up a bit! Recorded at the Brooklyn Public Library, our communications and marketing lead, Brynn Fuller-Becker interviews our usual host, Eva Dean about how “everyday people” like them got involved with the climate movement. They’ll talk about how examining one's values leads to sustained activism, and compare their favorite climate books, and relish in the joy, art, and community they’ve found through 350Brooklyn. Listen to our 10th episode, "Work to be Done, Joy to be Made”.
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.
