Lead poisoning is 100% preventable, yet New York has levels worse than anywhere else in the country and children of color are more susceptible than anyone else to lead poisoning. Join the Lead Free Kids NY coalition in calling for elected officials to include funding in this year's state budget to stop lead poisoning. Send an email to your elected officials with a single click!
Capitol Hill Briefing: Strengthening the Regulation of Harmful Chemicals
WE ACT is co-hosting Strengthening the Regulation of Harmful Chemicals, a federal legislative briefing, with Earthjustice and the University of California, San Francisco’s (UCSF) Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update its risk evaluation methods to better protect people from harmful chemicals. Micaela E. Martinez, our Director of Environmental Health, will be among the speakers, along with Earthjustice Toxic Exposure and Health Program Managing Attorney Eve Gartner, UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment Director Tracey J. Woodruff, Boston University School of Public Health Clinical Professor and Toxicologist Wendy Heiger-Bernays, and Lake Research Partners President Celinda Lake. The briefing is at 1 pm on Wednesday, March 29 at the Capitol Building Visitor Center SVC-203. It is open to the public and you can register to attend, but it is in-person only and seats are limited, so act now!
WE ACT has been active in pressuring government agencies to make strides for cleaner air through tougher regulations:
We've been partnering with organizations, including Climate Action Coalition (CAC), to pressure the EPA to adopt stronger soot protections for cleaner air, especially in environmental justice communities. Check out this video from CAC on why this is so important.
We also sent a letter to the Department of Energy (DOE) urging the agency to finally act on a 10-year-old petition asking them to define whether proposed fracked gas exports that harm frontline communities are in the public interest (Spoiler alert: They're not) and stop green lighting this harmful gas fracking. The Sierra Club is also leading a lawsuit against the DOE to stop the agency from continuing to approve gas fracking production and exports.
Indoor Air Quality Webinar with Just Solutions Collective
We're joining Just Solutions Collective on March 29 at 2 pm for a webinar on indoor air quality and our Out of Gas, In with Justice study. The webinar will examine the process of implementing the study, the results of the pilot, and the lessons learned. We will discuss opportunities for policy change and review potential avenues to explore how indoor air pollution impacts your community. Lastly, we will explore how communities can understand this topic in the context of federal funding opportunities.
Sonal Jessel will be speaking at the EcoCareers Summit on April 11. The Summit Series prepares students and young professionals for wildlife and sustainability careers by providing information on the latest EcoCareer trends from leading analysts and employers, clarifying career-enhancing credentials and academic offerings, and formulating a better understanding of the competencies employers seek in the green sector.
Zero-Waste Advocacy: Lonnie Portis sat down with Waste Drive about our zero-waste advocacy and how community members can get involved.
Peggy Shepard TED Talk: Major-Prepa, an online reference site for French students in economic and commercial preparatory classes, listed Peggy Shepard's TED Talk as one of the Top 5 talks of the third edition of TED Conferences.
Out of Gas, In with Justice: Our Out of Gas, In with Justice pilot continued to generate coverage. Jennifer Ventrella, a PhD Student in the Public & Urban Policy Program at The New School who worked with Annie Carforo on the project, spoke with Engineering for Change about the pilot and our findings.
Arctic Oil Drilling: A letter we sent with more than 20 other environmental organizations in response to the Biden administration's decision to open up a huge swath of Northern Alaska to oil and gas drilling has been gaining attention on local radio in the state, including KINY.
Advocate in Albany to Kick Fossil Fuels Out of Buildings
We have another lobby day coming up this month, and we need WE ACT members to come out in force to advocate for green energy!
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!
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!
Join students, professors, and staff at City College for Decarbonizing CCNY: How We Can Lead the Way! They will discuss some of the means by which CCNY can work towards decarbonization of the school's campus and what the community can do to help. March 23 on the CCNY campus from 12:30 - 1:50 pm in the Steinman Building, 275 Convent Avenue in Harlem.
Get Certified in Building Electrification
WE ACT's Green Institute is offering a free 60 hour energy efficiency technical training to earn GPRO Fundamentals of Building Green Certification along with professional development workshops for career advancement. This program is open to everyone aged 18+ with a high school diploma or equivalency, regardless of background. All applicants will undergo interviews, evaluations, and a screening/selection process. Applicants are encouraged to apply early!
Information Sessions: Learn More About the Courses:
March 22 at 1 pm
Electrification Training & GPRO Fundamentals of Building Green Certification:
April 17-28, (2 Weeks: Monday - Friday) 10 am - 5 pm
Professional Development Workshops:
May 2-18, 2023, (3 Weeks: Tuesdays and Thursdays) 2 - 5 pm
Support WE ACT by Running or Walking the Earth Day 5K
This Earth Day, help raise funds for our work and get to know WE ACT staff by running or walking for environmental justice during our Earth Day 5K 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.
Women's History Month at the African Burial Ground
Celebrate Women's History Month at the African Burial Ground National Monument at 290 Broadway in Lower Manhattan each weekend this month. Every Saturday from 2:30 - 3:30 pm will feature lectures from Black female authors:
Saturday, March 18: Author Ellease Ebele Oseye: Let the Lion Eat Straw
Saturday, March 25: Author David Mills Boneyarn: The Book of Poems about Slavery in New York City
The Great Displacement: Portraits of Climate Migration
Climate change is not a distant, future problem. It is happening now, and it is already driving migration, including in the United States. Join the Carnegie Endowment on March 20 at 3 pm for an online conversation and audience Q&A featuringJake Bittle and Noah J. Gordon on Bittle’s latest book, The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration.
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.
WE ACT Joins Other Orgs to Demand More Testing in Ohio Train Accident
We joined 100+ organizations and signed onto a letter demanding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conduct thorough and transparent testing for toxic dioxins in the areas surrounding the environmentally disastrous train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
WE ACT has begun utilizing the DataCamp Donates program for data science, data analysis, and programming to help with our work for environmental justice. Check out the services that DataCamp offers including DataCamp Classrooms for educators.
Charles Callaway (far left) was on a panel at the National Environmental Justice Conference in DC last week, discussing the nexus between offshore wind and environmental justice.
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.
