EVENTS WE ACT IS HOSTING

Friday, Sept. 26
1:00-4:00 PM – West Harlem Environmental Justice Tour
WE ACT for Environmental Justice will be hosting a series of free and informative environmental justice walking tours of historic West Harlem on Friday, September 26th. This outdoor walking tour will provide you with a deeper understanding of environmental and climate justice, including 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 and 2:00 PM and may last up to 2 hours, though you are not obligated to complete all of it. Please sign up for one tour only, and be sure to arrive at our office at least 15-minutes before your tour starts for a brief orientation.

Our office is located on the Second Floor of 1854 Amsterdam Avenue, which is at the intersection of 152nd & Amsterdam, and accessible via the C train at 155th; the 1 train at 157th; and the A, C, B, & D trains at 145th). The tour will end on West 125 Street, near Broadway (and the 1 train at 125th). Reach out to info@weact.org if you have questions. RSVP

 

EVENTS WE ACT IS PARTICIPATING IN

Friday, Sept. 19-Monday, Sept. 22
The Climate Film Festival
Caleb Smith will serve as one of the jurors at the Second Annual Climate Film Festival, New York City’s premier event dedicated to visionary climate storytelling. Running from Sept. 19-22, the film screenings will be held at the Regal Essex Crossing, located at 129 Delancey Street, and the panels and workshops will be held at Essex Market, which is around the corner at 88 Essex Street. RSVP

 

Sunday, Sept. 21
2:00-4:00 PM – Old Power, New Tools: AI and the Future of the Environmental Movement
When people talk about AI and the environment, data centers and energy use are an important part of the story. But there is also a larger and urgent conversation needed about how AI is reshaping power in our communities, climate policy, and philanthropy. It is determining which solutions will be seen as legitimate, who gets funding, and whose voices are heard. These are political choices being made now, often without the participation of those most impacted.

That is why BEA is bringing together environmental justice leaders, national green groups, funders, and others to grapple with the fault lines exposed by AI’s growing influence and to name what is at stake. Attendees will hear the pressing questions frontline communities are asking, learn how philanthropy and national greens are responding, and draw on the experience of those who have worked on big tech accountability. Their insights, together with lessons from AI’s track record in other sectors, will highlight what we can expect if its expansion continues unchecked. From there, we will explore how to move from “just AI” toward just and thriving futures, and how we can all act while the path is still being set. Denise Patel will be one of the panelists.

The event will be held at the Monarch Foundation, located at 515 Canal Street, from 2:00-4:00 PM (doors open at 1:30 PM, when a light lunch will be provided). Attendees can join in-person or online, though registration is required. RSVP

 

Monday, Sept. 22
2:00-3:30 PM – Doing Big Things: Congestion Relief for Cleaner Air, Better Transit, and Safer Streets
Peggy Shepard will participate in this Climate Week NYC panel discussion co-sponsored by Three Cairns Group and Congestion Pricing Now. The invitation-only event will spotlight how public, private, and civic leaders came together to advance this transformative policy – and why that collaboration remains essential moving forward. In addition to Peggy, confirmed panelists so far include Regional Plan Association Vice President for Transportation Tiffany-Ann Taylor, New York University Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service Dean and Global Distinguished Professor Polly Trottenberg, and Partnership for New York City President & CEO Kathy Wylde, with Riders Alliance Executive Director Betsy Plum moderating.

 

Tuesday, Sept. 23
5:30 PM – WE ACT 4 Change’s Leadership in Climate Civics Panel
WE ACT 4 Change is hosting a panel discussion on the importance of electing candidates committed to equitably addressing the climate crisis. It will be held at the Prince Hall Grand Lodge, which is located at 454 West 155th Street. Speakers will include Democratic National Committee Council on the Environment and Climate Crisis Chair Michelle Deatrick, Sierra Club New York State Political Chair Edward Berry, and Manhattan Young Democrats President Liz Cohen. RSVP

 

OTHER EVENTS FOR CONSIDERATION

Tuesday, Sept. 23
11:30 AM-12:30 PM – Rights of Nature: Protecting Land & Life from Fossil Fuels
12:45-1:45 PM – Appalachia to the Gulf South: Rematriation as Climate Justice
Across Appalachia and the Gulf South, Indigenous women have long led movements to protect land, water, and community – often in the face of environmental destruction, cultural erasure, and climate injustice. As part of Climate Week, 7 Directions of Service will host discussions that centers rematriation – a framework for climate justice rooted in returning land to Indigenous stewardship, reviving matrilineal governance, and restoring cultural and ceremonial relationships with Mother Earth. The events will be held at 545 Eighth Avenue, Suite 2110 on the 21st floor. RSVP

 

Tuesday, Sept. 23
6:30-7:30 PM – Indigenous-led Rights of Nature: Dismantling Fossil Fuel Colonialism and Building Climate Resilience
From the plains of Oklahoma to the woodlands of the Southeast, Indigenous nations are rising to defend land, water, and climate through the Rights of Nature framework – laws and cultural protocols that recognize rivers, forests, and ecosystems as living entities with the right to exist, regenerate, and thrive. In this evening conversation hosted by 7 Directions of Service, frontline Indigenous leaders will share how they are confronting fossil fuel colonialism – the pipelines, extraction projects, and corporate interests that threaten their communities – and replacing it with climate solutions grounded in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), matrilineal governance, and land rematriation. This event will be held at 307 West 38th Street, Suite 1505 on the 15th floor. RSVP

 

Wednesday, Sept. 24
2:00-3:30 PM – Tishman Center Cumulative Impacts Webinar
The Tishman Center is hosting a webinar to share key findings from a first-of-its-kind policy review and database designed to support the integration of cumulative impacts into state environmental permitting frameworks. Spurred by the leadership of environmental justice advocates, states are increasingly engaging in policymaking to respond to the cumulative environmental and social burdens faced by environmental justice communities. 

This event is designed for scholars, analysts, technical professionals, and environmental justice advocates committed to developing strong and equitable cumulative impacts policies. The topics of discussion will include trends and patterns in proposed and passed state cumulative impacts permitting policies as well as common frameworks, innovative policy features, as well as potential loopholes and pitfalls, in policy design. The goal is to launch and publicize a new database on state-level cumulative impacts policies and build momentum for academic collaborators to align with frontline needs in this area. RSVP