Join us for our March Membership Meeting on Saturday, March 11 from 10 am - 12 pm in-person at the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, located at 454 West 155th Street (between St Nicholas & Amsterdam Avenues). We'll be joined by City Council Member Carmen de la Rosa, the New York City Department of Sanitation who will talk about the exciting new composting program that the city is rolling out, and the Central Park Conservancy's Institute for Urban Parks who will talk about park equity.
WE ACT members and staff joined some of our fellow JustGreen Partnership organizations for an advocacy day with New York state lawmakers on Tuesday! We met with 15 state senators and assembly members to discuss support for critical bills that will make New York greener and healthier.
Last year, we passed a law to ban toxic PFAS chemicals from apparel sold in New York. Now, our coalition is championing a bill package to get toxic PFAS chemicals out of menstrual products, cosmetics, and other things used by our communities. We're also working to ban dangerous neonics chemicals that are infecting our plants, harming our bees, and getting in our food. And we are advocating for another bill that would build off of the landmark cumulative impacts bill we helped sign into law in December, further strengthening protections against cumulative impacts for environmental justice communities.
Out of Gas, In with Justice: The New Republic wrote a great story about our Out of Gas, In with Justice pilot and the gas industry's propaganda effort to undermine such studies. Habitat magazine also did a story on our Out of Gas, In with Justice pilot.
Beauty Inside Out: Inside Climate News did a feature about the Beauty Inside Out survey we did with Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health on the use of and attitudes towards hair relaxers and skin lighteners in Northern Manhattan and the Bronx.
Justice40rward: A Truthout article on federal climate investments directed to environmental justice communities by the Biden administration's Justice40 initiative included quotes from Dana Johnson as well as information on our Justice40rward campaign, which is helping local community organizations secure this funding for community-based projects.
Justice40: A Grist article on the Biden administration's revised Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), which is supposed to ensure that the Justice40 initiative is directing funding from federal climate investments to the communities that need it most, featured Manuel Salgado's analysis on how the tool is short-changing communities of color.
West Harlem Piers Park Ferris Wheel: Lonnie Portis was quoted in a Columbia Spectator article about a local developer's attempt to put a Ferris wheel in West Harlem Piers Park.
Mercury Pollution: The Clean Air for the Long Haul coalition, which WE ACT is a part of, applauded the Environmental Protection Agency's defense of tougher rules on toxic mercury pollution from power plants, which was one of several moves the agency has made to reverse the rollbacks of the Trump administration.
BUILDER Act: The Environmental Justice Leadership Forum, a national coalition we facilitate, sent a letter to congressional leaders stating our opposition to the Building United States Infrastructure through Limited Delays and Efficient Reviews (BUILDER) Act, as it would undermine the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
IQAir Will Join the Healthy Homes Working Group to Talk About Air Monitoring
Join our Healthy Homes Working Group Meeting at 6 pm on Tuesday, March 14 for a special presentation from IQAir, the world's largest free real-time air quality information platform and a worldwide leader in air monitoring solutions. The IQAir Foundation Team will provide an overview of their work to monitor indoor air quality using their AirVisual technology, and will discuss how we can work together to collect real-time, precise, and accurate air pollution measurements to help educate and improve the health of residents. Please direct any questions to Jaron Burke at [email protected].
Advocate in Albany for Green Energy and Housing Justice
We have two lobby days coming in March and we need WE ACT members to come out in force to advocate for green energy and housing!
Housing Justice for All: WE ACT will join Housing Justice for All on March 14 as we take over Albany to make sure that any housing plan that passes in the budget includes basic tenant protections and access to housing for homeless New Yorkers. Sign up here!
Kick Fossil Fuels Out of Buildings: Join us in Albany on March 22 as we rally and lobby to pass important legislation in this year's state budget that will accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels in our residential buildings and prioritize environmental justice communities. Sign up here!
Get Your Early Bird Tickets for WE ACT's Earth Day 5K While They Last!
Early bird tickets are now on sale until March 7th for our annual Earth Day 5K on Randall's Island. Register today using the promo code "earlybird".
This Earth Day, help raise funds for our work and get to know WE ACT staff by running or walking for environmental justice on April 15 - all proceeds from the event will support WE ACT! And if you can’t join us, please consider making a donation to support our work.
Check out the February episode of WE ACT's new podcast, Uptown Chats! This month, Jaron and Lonnie talk to TK Saccoh, creator of Darkest Hue about the role of colorism in the beauty industry and why it is an environmental justice issue, followed by a chat with WE ACT's Yuwa Vosper on skin lightening and toxins. You can also catch every episode of Uptown Chats on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Webinar on Toxins in the Fashion and Beauty Industry
Join WE ACT & PoliticallyInFashion for Celebrated But Unregulated: The Need for Policy to Protect Consumers from Toxins in the Fashion and Beauty Industry via Zoom from 11 am -12:30 pm on Thursday, March 23.
This webinar brings together environmental advocates, thought leaders, regulatory agencies, and legislative officials to discuss, explore, and engage with issues related to the marketing of cosmetics and fashion apparel– such as ingredient transparency, sustainability, and toxicity – as well as provide context within the federal regulatory landscape. We will also discuss the findings of our Beauty Inside Out survey we did with the Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health on the use of and attitudes towards hair relaxers and skin lighteners in Northern Manhattan and the Bronx.
The Beauty Inside Out campaign needs your help! As part of a research project in partnership with Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, the campaign is working with local organizations to educate our community members on the dangers of skin lightening creams, and we are looking for feedback on the education materials that we will be using. Dr. Lariah Edwards will be leading this working session on March 22nd at 6:30 pm. We hope to see you there!
MTA Hearing on the Second Avenue Subway in East Harlem
The Second Avenue Subway is coming to East Harlem, and the MTA is holding a hearing for community input on March 15 at 6 pm, either in-person at the Tito Puente Educational Complex (240 East 109th Street) or virtually. Register here to attend
Women's History Month: What About My Mind and Body?
Join WE ACT member Josette Bailey for a special Women's History Month event at 204 West 134th Street on Saturday, March 18, from 1 pm - 3 pm. What About My Mind and Body? will be a discussion about women's health and how to care for the body and mind during important mid-life transitions.
Please share your information here if you would like to be notified about any calls to action regarding the Con Ed rate case. The more voices we can rally to speak up for energy affordability, gas infrastructure reduction, and renewable heat, the better!
Become a Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellow
Applications to become a 2023 Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellow at WE ACT are now open! The annual Fellowship is designed to shape the next generation of environmental and climate justice leaders.
Harlem Youth Gardeners (HYG) learn about and assist with gardening in St. Nicholas Park and Morningside Park. The HYG program offers 24 teens $18 per hour and the chance to discover park history, ecology, landscaping, ecosystems, sustainability, and leadership skills. The program runs from April 15 - June 11. Apply by March 22.
