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TWO BIG NYC POLICY WINS:
Electric School Buses & Climate Adaptation Plan
The New York City Council passed two bills yesterday that we have been working on. The first, which Mayor Bill de Blasio has already expressed support for, will require that school buses serving New York City public schools be all-electric by September 1, 2035. The second calls for a comprehensive citywide climate adaptation plan to identify vulnerabilities and make recommendations for equitable measures to protect the city and its people. We’d like to thank Councilmembers Daniel Dromm, James Gennaro, & Justin Brannan as well as former Councilmember Costa Constantinides for their leadership on these! And we expect the Mayor to sign both into law. To learn more about the bills and how we worked to ensure they are centered on environmental justice, read our press release. Read the Release ([link removed])
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October Membership Meeting:
Preventing Lead Poisoning
Saturday, October 9 at 10:00 AM
Even though it is completely preventable, lead poisoning remains a massive environmental justice issue. Studies ([link removed]) show that Black children living below the poverty line are twice as likely to suffer from lead poisoning as poor white children. And here in New York City, lead poisoning is a major problem in private housing, with 11.2 of every 1,000 children living in those homes having elevated blood lead levels.
That’s why we are dedicating our October Membership Meeting to this issue, and how you can help us address it at the city, state, and federal levels. Join us ([link removed]) at 10:00 AM EDT on Saturday, October 9 as we walk you through the challenges as well as the legislation and programs we are working on to reduce the risk of lead poisoning. RSVP Today ([link removed])
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Attend Our Annual Gala:
Meet the Honorees
Thursday, October 21 at 7:00 PM
Our annual Gala is less than two weeks away! Please join us for this virtual event on Thursday, October 21 from 7:00-8:30 PM EDT. There will also be an optional cocktail reception for guests to mingle and network, from 6:30-7:00 PM EDT.
This year’s honorees include (pictured above, clockwise from the top left) Roxanne Brown, International Vice President at Large, United Steelworkers; Omar Freilla, Co-Founder & Director, Collective Diaspora; Davida Herzl, Co-Founder and CEO, Aclima Inc.; and Aaron Mair, Director, Adirondack Wilderness Water and Jobs Coalition, Adirondack Council – all of who will be participating in our panel discussion. And we will also be honoring our SUNS Solar Workers Cooperative ([link removed]) . You can read all the bios and learn more about our honorees here ([link removed]) .
Tickets are available for: $1,000, $500, $250, and $100. Get Your Tickets Today ([link removed])
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Peggy Shepard Among City & State NY's Manhattan Power 100
Peggy Shepard has been named one of City & State New York’s Manhattan Power 100, a list of individuals “who have made the borough what it is – and are making sure it gets back on track this time around.” She was recognized as “a renowned leader in the environmental advocacy space in New York and nationally.” Read the Article ([link removed])
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Register to Vote!
Today is the Deadline in New York
Today is your last chance to register to vote in New York State. Follow this link to learn how to register as well as check to see if you are registered. Don’t miss the opportunity to vote in November! Voter Info ([link removed])
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Let's Chat About Children's
Environmental Health
Wednesday, October 13 at 12:00 PM
The Children's Environmental Health Network has invited us to co-host their annual Children's Environmental Health Day Twitter Chat! If you have something to say about the intersection of environmental justice, health equity, and children's environmental health, join us on Wednesday, October 13 at 12:00 PM EDT. Register Today ([link removed])
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Peggy Shepard will be in Edinburgh next week for the TED Countdown Summit, where she will lead a breakout session ahead of next month's UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. Learn More ([link removed])
LJ Portis will be speaking at the Museum of the City of New York’s Green Activist New York Festival at 1:00 PM EDT on Sunday, October 17. Learn More ([link removed])
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Ashley James Op-Ed Calls Attention to Health Risks of Public Housing
In a powerful CityLimts Op-Ed, Ashley James called attention to the health risks faced by New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents and urged them to support our justice-centered and resident-informed NYCHA policy agenda to address these issues. Read the Op-Ed ([link removed])
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In a Vox article on the effort to pass federal climate legislation, Dana Johnson warned that prioritizing one environmental issue over another could put low-income communities and communities of color in even greater danger. Read the Article ([link removed])
In a Politico article, Peggy Shepard and other leaders of the Environmental Justice Leadership Forum called for the Biden administration to "walk the talk" on environmental justice, putting its promises into action. Read the Article ([link removed])
And both Harlem World ([link removed]) and the New York Beacon ([link removed]) (PDF) featured stories on Peggy Shepard being awarded the Knight of the National Order of Merit from the French Republic.
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Bailey Welcomes Brad Lander to Harlem
Bailey was one of the speakers at Councilmember Brad Lander’s “listening tour” in Northern Manhattan last week, welcoming the Democratic nominee for Comptroller to Harlem.
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Environmental Education Survey
Harlem Parents - We Need Your Help!
We are working with the Center for Sustainable Futures at Columbia University’s Teachers College ([link removed]) to survey parents of schoolchildren in Harlem (110th-155th Streets) to better align sustainability education with parents’ social, environmental, and economic concerns. Please take the anonymous survey in Eng/Esp by Oct. 15. Take the Survey ([link removed])
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PFAS in the Spotlight
Comedian John Oliver Shames Chemical Companies
In case you missed it, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver called attention to the dangers of PFAS, though they failed to note that it’s also an environmental justice issue because the manufacturing and disposal of these forever chemicals typically happen in low-income communities and communities of color. That is why we worked with the JustGreen Partnership ([link removed]) to ban PFAS in food packaging here in New York State ([link removed]) , but there is still plenty of work to be done. Watch the Video ([link removed])
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Social Justice Rally & March Today
Call Attention to Substance Abuse Disorder Issues
Join the Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association march & rally to call attention to the social injustices in East & Central Harlem. Meet at Lenox Avenue & 126th Street at 3:30 PM on Friday, October 8.
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