Harlem Week Climate Change Conference

Peggy Shepard spoke at the annual Harlem Week Climate Change Conference on August 6th, discussing environmental and climate justice issues in Harlem as well as the EJNYC Report and our upcoming outreach to help the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice develop a citywide environmental justice plan. Click here if you would like to get involved in developing the EJNYC Plan.

Presented by Columbia Climate School and the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, the event featured a panel discussion Columbia Climate School Professor of Climate Sheila R. Foster, CUNY BPL Founding Director Michael Bobker, Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Deputy Executive Director Paul Lozito, and Columbia University Chief Climate & Sustainability Officer Daniel A. Zarrilli, who moderated. Medgar Evers College President Dr. Patricia Ramsey provided closing remarks. And a moment of silence was observed for Lloyd Williams, President of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and Co-Founder of Harlem Week, who sadly passed away earlier that day.

Beauty Justice: Day of Action

On July 30th, WE ACT joined Consumer Reports and other advocates for a Beauty Justice Day of Action in celebration of International I Love Braids Day. We delivered a petition to the headquarters of Sensationnel, a synthetic hair product supplier based in New Jersey, to demand safer, toxin-free braiding hair products for our communities. Recent testing by Consumer Reports found benzene, a known carcinogen, and other dangerous chemicals in synthetic braiding hair products made by Sensationnel. Millions of Black women and girls wear braids for weeks at a time, putting our health at risk due to long term exposure to these dangerous chemicals. Click here to sign the petition!

Jordana Vanderselt was featured in our collaborative reel shared on Instagram, saying: "We’re proud to partner with Consumer Reports, the Natural Hairstyles & Braid Coalition, Oh My Heavenly Hair, Clean Water Action, and our communities to fight for safer beauty products. Benzene doesn’t belong in our hair — or anywhere near our bodies. It takes all of us — stylists, parents, advocates, and consumers — to hold companies accountable. Together, we can create a future where beauty and health go hand in hand."

Health Alert: Legionnaires’ Disease in Harlem

The outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Harlem has grown worse, with reports of infections and fatalities more than tripling: three deaths and 81 confirmed infections. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has issued a new alert. The outbreak remains clustered in the following zip codes: 10027,10030, 10035, 10037, and 10039. And the City has completed remediation of 11 rooftop cooling towers in the area found to have contained the bacteria.

Legionnaires’ disease is a pneumonia (lung infection) caused by breathing in bacteria (Legionella) that is found naturally in the environment and grows in warm water. The City notes that the disease cannot be passed from person-to-person, nor from drinking water, showering, or even individual air conditioning units. People can only get sick by breathing in water vapor containing the bacteria.

Those who are over 50-years-old, smoke, have chronic lung disease, or have a weakened immune system are at greatest risk. The symptoms are similar to the flu and can include fever, chills, muscle aches, cough, and shortness of breath. If you have flu-like symptoms, the City recommends you seek medical attention right away.

Learn more about this cluster of cases in English, Spanish, and other languages. And learn more about the disease here.

Help Raise Awareness

You can download, print, and share this poster in your building. And here is a postcard you can share with your friends and neighbors.

Heat Health at Home Workshop

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has published their Draft Report for the NY & NJ Harbor & Tributaries Focus Area Feasibility Study of three coastal storm risk management projects in the New York metropolitan area, including the Harlem River from East 150th Street north to the Rangel Houses. There will be a virtual public hearing on Tuesday, August 12th from 4:00-6:00 PM. There will also be in-person meetings on Thursday, August 14th from 2:00-4:00 PM and again from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling, which is located at 898 St. Nicholas Avenue (at 155th Street). If you live in the Rangel Houses or the Polo Grounds, this is surely something you will want to participate in one of these sessions. They will be followed by a public comment period through August 25th. RSVP for the Aug. 12th Virtual Meeting

Community Pesticide Safety Event

Pests are a problem for everyone in New York City, but pesticides can be dangerous if not used correctly. The New York Attorney General’s Office is hosting a community event to educate New Yorkers about the safe use of pesticides, and Danielle Mangabat will be among the speakers. Join us on Tuesday, August 12th from 5:30-7:30 PM at the YM-YWHA, located at 54 Nagle Avenue (between Broadway & Ellwood).

BioBus Student Science Celebration: Air Quality Monitoring

We have been working with BioBus, a nonprofit that helps youth historically excluded from science careers discover, explore, and pursue them, to help students learn about and engage in community air quality monitoring. Some of these students will be presenting their work at the BioBus Harlem Junior Scientist Community Science Research Showcase on Friday, August 15th from 1:30-4:00 PM at BioBase, located at 605 West 129th Street (at Broadway). RSVP

Heat Health at Home Workshop

We have already had a few heatwaves this summer, and more are surely on the way. Come learn how to safeguard your home and your health from extreme heat!

As part of the New York State Extreme Heat Coalition, we are hosting an interactive workshop on Thursday, August 21st from 6:00-8:00 PM at our office, located on the Second Floor of 1854 Amsterdam Avenue (at the corner of 152nd Street & Amsterdam). We will be providing information on how to lower the cost of cooling your home, seeking your input on ways to better safeguard our community, and sharing how you can get involved in some of the work we are doing to help everyone stay safe during heatwaves. RSVP

September Membership Meeting

Now that the BBQ has fully digested, we’re gearing up for the return of our Monthly Membership Meetings. These meetings are free, open to the public, and typically held on the second Saturday of the month. Our next meeting with be Saturday, September 13th from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM. Check here for updates on the location and topics of discussion. RSVP

Climate Week: West Harlem Environmental Justice Walking Tour

As part of Climate Week NYC 2025, we are offering free and informative environmental justice walking tours of historic West Harlem on Friday, September 26th. This outdoor walking tour may last up to 2 hours, depending on the number of questions asked (and we encourage questions!), though you are not obligated to complete it. The tour will provide you with a deeper understanding of environmental and climate justice, and the issues we are facing here in New York City. It will showcase some of the work we have done in the community as well as give an overview of what our organization is currently working on. Tours will begin at 1:00 PM, 1:30 PM, and 2:00 PM. Please sign up for one tour only, and be sure to arrive at our office (on the Second Floor of 1854 Amsterdam Avenue, on the corner of West 152nd Street) at least 15-minutes before your tour starts for a brief orientation. RSVP

Manny Salgado was featured in a Democracy Now story on the Trump administration's termination of the “endangerment finding,” one of the most important legal underpinnings in the federal effort to improve air quality and address climate change (see our press statement on this). Manny spoke at U.S. Senator Ed Markey's press conference in front of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) headquarters in Washington, DC. The outlet shared an excerpt of his testimony (see his full testimony here):

"Unfortunately, my hometown and the surrounding communities know quite viscerally what the danger of climate change is. Less than a month ago, on July the Fourth, the area was struck by catastrophic floods. This flooding resulted in an egregious and, frankly, quite preventable loss of life, over 135 people, including 27children and young people passed away at Camp Mystic. This is all due to supercharged floods from greenhouse gases… I cannot imagine how awful it feels to lose a child in a climate disaster, but what I do know is that if Lee Zeldin, Donald Trump and the billionaire polluters that they serve get their way, millions of Americans will know that feeling quite well. We can’t afford that future. We’re going to continue to fight to make sure that the EPA does protect us from the dangers of climate change. Thank you."

District 10 Community Picnic

New York City Council Member Carmen De La Rosa is hosting her Annual Community Picnic for Manhattan District 10 from 12:00-5:00 PM tomorrow, Saturday, August 9th, at Highbridge Park (enter at 172nd Street & Amsterdam Avenue). There will be food, music, and activities for all ages.