Join Us Tomorrow Our In-Person Earth Day 5K Fun Run/Walk
It's not too late to register for our Earth Day 5K Fun Run/Walk tomorrow, Sunday, May 1. Come join us on Randall's Island and help raise funds for WE ACT while enjoying the great outdoors. You can register here. Check-in will begin at 8:30 AM, with a 9:00 AM start time. Join us!
And many thanks to our sponsors: Vestar, our Gold sponsor, and ARO and Langan, our Supporter sponsors.
Landmark Legislation New York State Legislature Passed Our Cumulative Impacts Bill; Awaiting Governor's Signature
In case you missed the big news, the New York State legislature passed a bill that will protect disadvantaged communities by ensuring that the cumulative impacts of pollution are taken into consideration when potentially polluting facilities seek permits. WE ACT championed this legislation in a partnership co-led by South Bronx Unite and the JustGreen Partnership, along with Clean and Healthy New York, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, Riverkeeper, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, New York State American Academy of Pediatrics, Environmental Advocates NY, Moms for a Nontoxic New York, Earthjustice, 350 Brooklyn/City Action, and other organizations. Now we’re working to get Governor Kathy Hochul to sign this into law. Click here to learn more about cumulative impacts, this legislation, and why it’s so important. Or read about it in Harlem World.
CLCPA Public Hearing Help New York State Implement Its Plan to Address Climate Change
Join us on Tuesday, May 3 at 4:00 PM to share your thoughts on how to best implement New York State’s Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (CLCPA), a law that requires the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and no less than 85 percent by 2050. The law created a Climate Action Council charged with developing a scoping plan of recommendations to meet these targets, which you can review here. This public hearing is your opportunity to provide in-person feedback on this scoping plan. It will be held at the New York City College of Technology’s Theater at City Tech, located at 285 Jay Street in Brooklyn. You can learn more about the CLCPA here and read the draft scoping plan here. You can register to testify here, or click here to find other opportunities to testify. And click here for NY Renews’ guide on how to provide effective public testimony.
Last Week to Sign Up Run for Our Membership Planning Committee
Our Membership Planning Committee serves a leadership role in our membership and does a lot of the work planning and preparing for our Membership Meetings and other events. The committee also works toward more effective communication between the membership body and staff and helps set goals for membership participation. We are holding elections for this volunteer committee and encourage any member interested in becoming a candidate to please complete this form by Friday, May 6. Questions? Reach out to Bailey at [email protected].
Lead-Free Kids Virtual Advocacy Day Help Us End Childhood Lead Poisoning in NY
Join us for the Lead-Free Kids NY virtual advocacy day on Tuesday, May 10. There is a childhood lead poisoning crisis in New York State, which has more children with elevated blood-lead levels than any other state in the nation. And Black children are nearly three times more likely to have highly elevated blood-lead levels. From 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM (though you do not have to join us for the entire time), we will be meeting online with elected officials in Albany to advocate for legislation to address this environmental injustice. Help us put an end to childhood lead poisoning in New York State! RSVP here.
Candidates Forum New York State Lt. Governor
Join us for our Candidates Forum for the New York State Lieutenant Governor race on Thursday, May 12 at 6:30 PM. We’re inviting all of the candidates for this race to attend, introduce themselves, and answer questions from our staff and members about key environmental issues impacting our community. This was rescheduled from April 29. You can watch our earlier forums here. RSVP for this forum here.
May Membership Meeting New York State Governor Candidates Forum
For our May Membership Meeting, we will host a Candidates Forum for the New York State Governor race on Saturday, May 14 at 10:00 AM. We’re inviting all of the candidates for this race to attend, introduce themselves, and answer questions from our staff and members about key environmental issues impacting our community. This was rescheduled from April 29. You can watch our earlier forums here. RSVP for this forum here.
Peggy Shepard Interviewed by Philanthropy News Digest
Peggy Shepard was interviewed by Philanthropy News Digest, discussing everything from environmental racism to the importance of organizing and advocacy. Take a moment to read the interview and learn a little more about WE ACT. Read the article here.
Peggy Shepard Urges Johnson & Johnson Shareholders to Stop Selling Toxic Talc
Peggy Shepard was among the voices appearing in a presentation for Johnson & Johnson shareholders this past week, making the case for why they should vote to stop the company from selling its talc-based baby powder globally. J&J stopped selling it in North America “amid mounting public pressure and nearly 38,000 lawsuits” resulting from studies that have linked the talc to cancer. Documents show that the company knew of the potential cancer risk, but executives continued to sell the product, marketing it heavily to women of color. We should know within a week or two if the effort to stop global sales has been successful. In the meantime, watch this powerful video. And scroll down to find out how you can take action to get toxics out of personal care products.
Take Action Help Us Get Toxics Out of Beauty Products
The ingredients used in cosmetics and other personal care products are largely unregulated. We need to change that, because companies are using a wide variety of toxic chemicals – especially in products marketed to people of color. Fill out this online letter urging your congressional representative to support the federal Safer Beauty Bill legislative package to get toxic chemicals out of beauty products. Click here to access the automated letter. It will take you less than a minute to complete. Please do it right now. The rest of the newsletter can wait. Really, it can. Thank you.
Peggy Shepard Honored at Auburn Seminary's Lives of Commitment
Peggy Shepard will be honored at the Auburn Seminary’s Lives of Commitment gala on Wednesday, May 4 at 12:00 PM. You can learn more about this virtual event here, and watch a brief video of Peggy discussing the honor here.
Arbor Day Celebration Planting the First of a Million Trees
Charles Callaway and Lonnie Portis joined Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson on the High Bridge for an Arbor Day multi-borough tree planting ceremony, during which the borough presidents committed to planting a million more trees. Watch the announcement here.
SummerStage Returns to Marcus Garvey Park
While the pandemic is far from over, in-person events have been returning. In fact, as part of New York City’s SummerStage series, there will be a number of events held in Marcus Garvey Park this summer, including several concerts as well as a screening of Summer of Soul, the Academy Award-winning documentary film about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival…which was also held in Marcus Garvey Park. Click here to read about it in Harlem Patch.
