Climate Check: Stories and Solutions

Our host Eva is joined by Michael Burger, Executive Director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, and a Senior Research Scholar and Lecturer-at-Law at Columbia Law School. He is a co-author of Urban Climate Law (Columbia U Press, 2023), and an editor or co-editor of Global Climate Change and U.S. Law (ABA Publishing, 2023); Combating Climate Change with Section 115 of the Clean Air Act: Law and Policy Rationales (Edward Elgar, 2020) and Climate Change, Public Health and the Law (Cambridge U Press, 2018). He is a regent and fellow at the American College of Environmental Lawyers, and a member of the Advisory Council at the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society and the Advisory Board of Urban Ocean Lab. He is also of counsel at the boutique environmental law firm Sher Edling LLP.

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law website: https://climate.law.columbia.edu/

New York City Climate Law Tracker: https://climate.law.columbia.edu/content/nyc-climate-law-tracker

CLCPA Scoping Plan Tracker:  https://climate.law.columbia.edu/Scoping-Plan-Tracker

Climate Backtracker:  https://climate.law.columbia.edu/content/climate-backtracker

Climate Attribution database: https://climateattribution.org/

Eva is joined by Nancy Romer of the Professional Staff Congress, the 30,000 member labor union of faculty and staff of the City University of New York. She chairs its Environmental Justice Working Group that is leading the effort to cut fossil fuel use at the 25 campuses of CUNY.

Key to their efforts is pressuring the New York Power Authority, which is required by the Build Public Renewables Act to generate more of its electricity from renewable sources. The complex interplay of faculty, staff, students, administrators, city and state government, and the utility is capably explained by Nancy, a professor for 42 years.

Links:

●     PSC EJWG https://psc-cuny.org/environmental-justice-committee/

●     Build Public Renewables Act,highlights https://publicpowerny.org/legislation/

●     New York Power Authority https://www.nypa.gov/

●     NYPA strategic plan (draft) https://www.nypa.gov/-/media/nypa/documents/document-library/renewables/NYPA-Renewables-Draft-Strategic-Plan

●     350 Brooklyn’s guide to commentingon NYPA plan https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oirScRCVEKeAsE9IxWQ8xOpWWG383QIioj0ZVQmsOPw/edit?tab=t.0

●     NYPIRG https://www.nypirg.org/

●     Sunrise https://www.sunrisemovement.org/

●     TREEage https://www.treeageteam.org/

●     United Federation of Teachers https://www.uft.org/get-involved/uft-campaigns/carbon-free-and-healthy-schools

●     New York Renews https://alignny.org/campaign/new-york-renews/

●     Climate Works for All https://www.nyclimateworks.org/

●     Public Power New York https://publicpowerny.org/

Our host Eva is joined by Kimmy Cushman of Plant Based Treaty. Kimmy Cushman is a scientific advisor and campaigner at Plant Based Treaty, a global grassroots organization working to bring the food system to the forefront of climate change policy. While studying physics at Yale University, Kimmy became an organizer for the graduate student union, and after completing her PhD in 2023, Kimmy is now leveraging her scientific background and community organizing skills to educate policy makers about the environmental impacts of animal agriculture and engage the public into action. In addition to advocating for plant-based solutions at UN Climate Change and Sustainable Development conferences, Kimmy also works on grassroots campaigns in New York City and Boston to empower everyday people, business owners, and city councilors to promote healthy and sustainable food. She’s also growing the movement by developing collaborations between Plant Based Treaty and other food and environmental organizations like Better Food Foundation, Citizens Climate Lobby, Extinction Rebellion, 350.org and more.

Plant Based Treaty's website: https://plantbasedtreaty.org/

Welcome call: https://plantbasedtreaty.org/start-a-pbt-team/

Audrey Stanton is joined by Jessica Schreiber of FABSCRAP. Jessica explains how her established nonprofit collects and recycles the unending stream of fabric waste generated by the fashion design industry. Textiles experience the typical issues of any kind of waste, but have unique sources and solutions that FABSCRAP has pioneered. The organization utilizes a crew of volunteers every day. Learn what actions you can take to help FABSCRAP thrive.

⁠https://fabscrap.org/

Our host Eva is joined by Sameer Ranade, the ‘The Climate Change Prophet.’ Sameer is a climate justice activist and spoken word rhyme artist who believes social progress can be made through art, education, organizing, & inclusivity. Sameer has dedicated his career and artistic endeavors to the cause of social justice and climate protection.

Instagram: @theclimatechangeprophet

About World Oceans Day: https://unworldoceansday.org/about/

About the High Seas Treaty: https://highseasalliance.org/treaty-negotiations/

Verse #1: 

I'm forlorn for the death and suffering in regions war torn 

and all the communities that aren't ready for more storms 

a function of emitting greenhouse gases that make the planet more warm.

In order to reverse the tide

 a person's race or religion should be no more significant than the color of their eyes

As the great Bob Marley wrote, Tribalism puts our harmony on the ropes.

To rescue it, I bust out my clipboard and register people to vote. 

The higher turnout in Georgia gave me new hope.

Never thought I'd see Ralph Warnock and John Ossoff represent the Peach State. 

Yet there are so many people who preach hate. 

We must rise above and be great. 

Implement the most ambitious greenhouse gas pollution rule. 

We have the tools to do it in a way that improves the quality of public schools. 

That, my friend, is the key to a better society.

It's tragic that neighborhoods are segregated by race. 

For the full implementation of Brown v. Board, I plead my case. 

The solution to reduce carbon emissions is to reduce social divisions. 

Global warming we can prevent with ethical treatment of each other. 

I'm not religious, but I heard Isaac and Ishmael were brothers.

The recognition of our common bond will hopefully make us think twice before we drop bombs. 

If you think the world would be a better place if Trump stayed in the Iran deal, you're not wrong. 

So much going on, I can't stand still. 

My carbon reduction plan will improve the quality of life in every neighborhood.

Design homes that favor wood sustainably grown.

Verse #2: 

Instead of building walls I want to invest infrastructure to make the environmental healthy for all

install a charger in every public parking stall

create jobs installing solar panels on top of shopping malls

boost good employment positions 

in places where emissions are the highest

once you look at the map, you can no longer deny it 

pollution is hardest to bring down in the poor parts of town

life ain't fair cuz the darker your skin is, the dirtier your air

there is no way to spin it

racism is the cause

to implement the 14th amendment we keep needing more laws freeway pollution means we ain't fully undone the legacy of segregation

for sure we made progress with Civil Rights legislation

it boosted immigration/ let my dad in

can we achieve the great Society of the Johnson Admin?

for jobs and racial justice I want to see the Green New Deal pass finally harness the amazing carbon storing ability of eelgrass

energy efficiency will save real cash

not only will it seal cracks but make the home healthy

so when I ask you to pass bills please help me

I often wonder how many good things we'd have accomplished if they hadn't killed Dr. King

when it came to the dangers of our planet he saw them coming…

Verse #3: 

There are five oceans named 

But as an interconnected water body they’re all the same 

And impacted by what we pour down the drain 

With our wastewater treatment plants under strain 

I’m running water conservation campaigns 

Have you heard of the dead zone in the gulf coast it’s a damn shame 

But through planting cover crops and buffer strips it can change

Implement the practice on farms all across the globe 

When you think about it the ocean is everyone’s adobe

Thank you United Nations for the World Oceans Day declaration 

Love this celebration for providing inspiration and issue elevation 

For more gratification I want the US Senate to bring the High Seas Treaty up for ratification

Guest host Brynn Fuller-Becker is joined by Andrew C Revkin of the Sustain What webcast and revkin.substack.com newsletter. Andy discusses his 41 year career as a journalist covering environmental stories, including climate change. In that period he has lived the news media’s transformation from a few institutional giants to numerous smaller outlets. Andy articulates his current belief that effecting societal change requires facilitating relationships between scientific expertise and communities at risk.

Eva is joined by Lynn Neuman of Artichoke Dance Company to preview a plastic-free summer. Four events in May and June 2024, highlighted by the Mermaid Parade, kick off the summer. In July individuals are asked to join a global pledge to reduce plastic use in their daily lives. Learn what actions you can take to fight the perils of microplastics to our environment and our own bodies.

Links:

• Artichoke Dance Company -  https://www.artichokedance.org/events

• 350Brooklyn's Plastic Free Workgroup - https://350brooklyn.org/plastic-free-summer/

• A Poison Like No Other [book mentioned] - https://islandpress.org/books/poison-no-other#desc

• Mermaid Parade - https://www.coneyisland.com/mermaidparade

On today's episode, we're discussing Enbridge's proposal to expand the Algonquin Pipeline, also known as Project Maple. Our guest is Santosh Nandabalan. 

Santosh Nandabalan is a Senior Organizer at Food & Water Watch. Alongside working on state and federal legislation to tackle climate change, Santosh has years of experience managing coalitions and building out strategic campaigns to stop fossil fuel projects in New York and advancing clean water protections. His work includes organizing in New York City and the Hudson Valley, including stopping fracked gas infrastructure like the Danskammer and Gowanus powerplants and keeping radioactive waste out of the Hudson River. Prior to Food & Water Watch, Santosh was a union organizer at SEIU and graduated from Gettysburg College with a BA in Philosophy.

Links:

• Find more information about Food & Water Watch here: https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/who-we-are/
• Urge Governor Hochul and state legislators to oppose the Project Maple: https://secure.foodandwaterwatch.org/act/stop-project-maple 
• Tell Gov Hochul and the DEC to reject the Iroquois Pipeline Expansion: https://secure.foodandwaterwatch.org/act/stop-iroquois-pipeline-expansion-project 
• Food and Water Watch can also be found on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodandwaterwatch/

On today’s episode, we’re discussing the New York Heat Act. Our guest is Lisa Marshall, Advocacy & Organizing Director of New Yorkers for Clean Power. 

Lisa’s long-standing interest in climate change began decades ago when she wrote her first high school research paper on global warming. It wasn’t until moving to NY’s Southern Tier and buying a home that was leased to a gas company, that she became directly involved in climate and energy advocacy. Since then, Lisa has been at the forefront of advocacy for building energy efficiency and heat pump adoption policy at the state level where she advocated effectively for bringing affordable, equitable building electrification to scale through education and outreach, messaging, lobbying, and building grassroots pressure on elected officials and state agencies.

Links:

• Take Action with Renewable Heat Now - ⁠https://linktr.ee/renewableheatnow
• Renewable Heat Now - https://renewableheatnow.org/
• Informative Video on NY HEAT ACT - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NXxDXfsewA 
• NYSERDA’s Regional Clean Energy Hubs: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Regional-Clean-Energy-Hubs

Eva is joined by Liat Olenick, co-founder of Climate Families NYC. Liat explains that young children can understand that climate pollution is bad and they love to solve problems. She describes how the youngest members of our society can participate in actions targeting the adults who can change the course of the climate crisis. It’s hard for people to ignore toddlers protesting outside their homes!

Links:

• Climate Families NYC - ⁠https://www.climatefamiliesnyc.org/
• Instagram - @ClimateFamsNYC
• March to End Fossil Fuels -https://www.endfossilfuels.us/