Station 1: Consumer Choices, Waste, and Climate Action
with Katerina Bogateriva and Leah Shoot
Vote with your dollar - support local whenever possible!
Shop local and small businesses like
Precycle for package free produce, bulk food and home goods.
Farm to People - farmers market delivery service
Grow NYC - farmers markets throughout the five boroughs
Earth & Me, Maison Jar, A Sustainable Village, Common Good, 4th Street Food Co-op, The Park Slope Food Co-op, and find more on Litterless - a fantastic resource!
Look for third party certifications like EWG, B-Corp, 1% for the planet, The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Rainforest Alliance Certified, and more
Follow accounts like @commonsearth, @polluterspay, @sunrisemvmt
Station 2: Environmental Justice
with Hana Epstein, Sustainability Specialist at the NYC Public Schools Office of Energy and Sustainability
Climate change impact projections (eg. Flooding)
Vulnerability indices
Transportation hub locations
Various environmental justice issues: heat, flooding, air quality, etc
Actionable steps for all New Yorkers
City-wide environmental justice initiatives and resources
Upcoming environmental justice reports
Climate change hazards
Various campaigns
NYC Climate Justice Hub
Climate justice webinars
Recommended organizations to follow:
Upcoming events:
Station 3: Advocacy and Local Legislation
with Delia Kulukundis of 350 Brooklyn
City Council:
Look up your NYC Councilmember and give them a call to install new water fountains and ban plastic turf.
Find yours here: https://council.nyc.gov/districts/
Here’s a suggested script - feel free to personalize:
“Hi, my name is _____ and I am a constituent living in _______ (neighborhood). I’m calling to ask the Councilmember to cosponsor and work to pass two pieces of legislation that will cut New York’s plastic pollution and help protect our health. One is the Hydration for All Act - Intro 0900, which would install 500 new water fountains and bottle fillers across the city. The other is a ban on new artificial turf fields in NYC Parks, Intro 1202. Both of these would help keep plastic pollution out of our waterways and our bodies. Please cosponsor both of these bills and work to pass them as soon as possible. Thank you.”
New York State legislature:
Look up your NY Assemblymember and give them a call to pass the NY HEAT Act.
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/
Here's a suggested script - feel free to personalize, especially if you've seen your utility bills go up recently:
“Hi, my name is ____ and I am a constituent from __________ (zip code). I’m calling to urge Assemblymember ______ to pass the NY HEAT Act, A4870. We can’t wait another year for cleaner heat and lower bills - if we don't pass NY HEAT, we'll keep seeing our utility bills go up and up. Please pass this common-sense bill today.”
Learn more about the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act and take action using Beyond Plastics' excellent toolkit here.