Dear friends,
I am really happy to begin today with some green good news, which was the result, in part, of our collective relentlessness: the organizers from the No North Brooklyn Pipeline coalition wrote this morning to say that the Public Service Commission heard us and voted down the request from National Grid to use public money ($70 million!) to build LNG Vaporizers at the head of the North Brooklyn Pipeline.
Yesterday, the kids from PepTok said “I trust that you can make things right.” It turns out that they meant you plural. And they are right about us.
We are celebrating this decision after three years of street activism, so many public comments, and a gas bill strike. The next phase is to get the NY Department of Environmental Conservation to deny the project’s air permit. Keep your eyes open for more action.
Meanwhile, here’s a quick climate action from NY Renews; remember, since climate action affects our neighbors outside NYS, you can take action from anywhere.
Tell the NY Assembly to pass the full Climate, Jobs, and Justice package of bills.
The good folks at NY Renews have organized a week-long call relay to relentlessly remind our key lawmakers “to include climate, jobs, and justice measures in the final state budget, putting New York on a path towards a pollution-free future, built by workers with good, union jobs.”
Call relays are a great way to beat the drum for legislative action: you sign up for a time slot and make one call each day next week at the same time. There will be scripts provided and it will take just a few minutes.
I signed up for 5 PM and I’m looking for someone to pick up Monday and Tuesday for me. If you want to pick up those two days, email esalynn@gmail.com. You can also split another time slot next week with your partner or a friend. To quote my friend Winnie the Pooh, “It’s so much more friendly with two.”
Sign up to call NY legislative leaders next week! These calls make a difference!
I spill a lot of virtual ink to call attention to the home care crisis, which can be solved by investing in the workforce that enables people with disabilities to remain in their homes and communities.
Please tell Governor Hochul to show care workers the green! This quick action is from NY Caring Majority.
The Fair Pay for Home Care campaign is maintaining a presence in Albany for the rest of the month, so that legislators and the governor cannot ignore the need. We need some green to keep the pressure on.
Help support the campaign to provide accessible transportation for older and disabled people to advocate for themselves!
If you can, come out and rally with JFREJ for Fair Pay in Manhattan on Wednesday 3/22. I’ve been told there will be dancing!
One more thing: Ron DeSantis is pushing legislation to make it illegal for banks in Florida to refuse to lend to fossil fuel companies. In addition, the law would forbid
public pension plans and other state-controlled funds [from] consider[ing] “environmental, social and governance” standards — ESG — when investing.
This sort of regulation is apparently okay with DeSantis and exposes (again) the lack of principle underlying his policies.
In a lovely coincidence of timing, Third Act is organizing a series of massive demonstrations to protest the banks that fund the climate crisis.
Sign up to attend a Tuesday demonstration against dirty banks!
I’ll be out of town early next week. It’s a whirlwind trip to see my mama, a dear friend, and my springling. Lena and I will be making some noise outside Chase Bank in Boston on Tuesday.
I’ll be back in your inbox on Thursday, March 23.
with love,
L