Sarah Richardson held a zoom meeting on November 13th with people who expressed an interest in working on projects relating to climate and sustainability. Current projects will include outreach to neighborhood businesses to encourage the use of reusable containers, connecting with a state-wide campaign about funding the environmental justice and decarbonization goals set out in New York’s landmark Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act), and supporting efforts in renewable energy, including locally. Regarding, city-wide curbside composting, at this time, the city is only offering this program in Queens. Use this link to find your closest drop-off site and information about which materials are accepted.
At the November meeting, Mary Jo Burke talked about the Purple Air monitors that LES Breathe, a division of East River Park Action, has installed in our neighborhood, the East Village and in Williamsburg. Use this link to find out more information about LES Breathe and the sensors. Use the dropdown menu of the “Breathe” header to find more information. Here is a link to the Purple Air map to see air quality readings in our neighborhood and around the world.
As part of the 2019 Climate Act, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is conducting a yearlong air quality study, as part of its efforts to reduce air pollution. The air quality is being tested in (10) disadvantaged communities around the state, including portions of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. The Lower East Side is one of the areas being studied. The monitoring is being conducted by driving hybrid vehicles around the study areas at random times, every 2 weeks or so. Analysis of the data will be available to the public after the study is completed. The first quarterly update meeting for Manhattan was held on December 6th via zoom. Click here for recording. To find more information about the program, including a map showing the areas within Manhattan that are being studied, use this link.
