Press Release: Announcing Online Summer 2020 Climate Wednesdays Series
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mimi Bluestone
PHONE 917-838-0153
EMAIL
350Brooklyn and Brooklyn Public Library Announce
Online Summer 2020 Climate Wednesdays Series
Series to Engage Brooklynites in Accessible Solutions to the Climate Crisis
Brooklyn, NY, Date TK 2020 – 350Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Branch at Grand Army Plaza will host a three-part summer 2020 online series, Climate Wednesdays: Solutions for a Cooler Brooklyn. Starting July 22, the series will feature online discussions with activists and experts on the transportation, urban ecology, and job creation dimensions of climate change. Our speakers and community will explore the challenges of the global climate crisis. The Climate Wednesdays series first began in Fall 2019.
350Brooklyn is a local affiliate of the international climate organization 350.org, which works to end the use of fossil fuels and support a just transition to a sustainable world. The Climate Wednesdays series is part of 350Brooklyn’s mission to deepen public understanding of climate change and to engage more Brooklynites s in the effort to confront the global climate crisis head-on.
All events will take place from 7:00-8:30 pm on Zoom. Â To register, go to https://www.bklynlibrary.org/event-series/climate-wednesdays
July 22: Where to Next? Fossil-Free Transportation in a Pandemic and Beyond
Transportation is the # 2 source of greenhouse gas emissions in New York City. We have the nation’s most extensive subway system and the slowest bus service. With the Covid-19 pandemic comes a new set of mass transit woes. But bicycling is surging, and a whole slew of New Yorkers are avoiding the commute altogether as they check into work via Zoom. How can we get our troubled public transit system back on track and headed where we need to go in a climate-friendly way?
Moderator:
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Emily Nonko is an award-winning freelance journalist based in Brooklyn. Her writing covers real estate, architecture, urbanism, design, transit, history, and the ways climate change will affect New York. She is a regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Next City, and  Curbed New York.
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Vanessa Barrios conducts research and outreach on projects related to affordable homes, community engagement, and equitable economic development in the region. Vanessa spearheads the Health Regions Planning Exchange, an RPA-led initiative that convenes a network of planners, practitioners, and advocates from 11 regions across the country to address health and equity in planning. Prior to joining RPA in 2016, she worked as a case manager, housing navigator, and outreach worker at People Assisting the Homeless in  the Greater Los Angeles area. Vanessa currently resides in Brooklyn where she enjoys tending to her small but mighty windowsill garden.
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Dulcie Canton is a Brooklyn organizer for Transportation Alternatives, which works to reclaim New York City’s streets from the automobile and advocates for better bicycling, walking, and public transit for all New Yorkers. She works on bike safety outreach and organizes cyclists to build support for bike lanes, increased bicycle ridership, and Transportation Alternatives’ “Vision Zero” mission.
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Allison Considine is the NY Campaign Representative for the Sierra Club’s “Clean Transportation for All Campaign.” Leading the Club’s work for a just and equitable transition to a decarbonized transportation system, she focuses on electrifying vehicles and securing greenhouse gas emissions reductions from the transportation sector across the state alongside a team of volunteers and staff. Prior to joining the Sierra Club, she was an organizer with the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, supporting nurses across the country in unionizing their workplaces. Currently living in Brooklyn, she is passionate about cycling, public transit, and building a powerful movement to confront the climate crisis. |
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Renae Reynolds is the Transportation Planner for the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, a citywide membership network linking grassroots organizations from low-income neighborhoods and communities of color in their struggle for environmental justice. Renae is the coordinator of ElectrifyNY, a statewide coalition focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in New York’s public transit and municipal fleets. As a member of the Fix the Subway campaign, she was part of the coalition that won passage of the nation’s first ever congestion pricing plan. Renae’s advocacy addresses the transportation sector’s historical negative impacts on environmental justice communities and seeks to ensure that those most burdened by those effects are first to benefit from clean transportation. |
Upcoming Climate Wednesdays Events
August 26—Natural Allies: Working with Nature to Combat Climate Change
September 16—Green Collar Jobs: Making a Living, Forging a Better World
About 350 Brooklyn
350 Brooklyn works to counter climate change and achieve climate justice through local action. We promote sustainable energy, oppose the fossil fuel industry, and educate and activate our community. 350Brooklyn is a local affiliate of 350.org, a global grassroots organization. The Full Climate Wednesdays Press Release is Available at: http://www.350Brooklyn.org.
About Brooklyn Library
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is an independent library system for the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn. It is the sixth largest library system in the United States with 60 neighborhood libraries located throughout the borough. BPL offers free programs and services for all ages and stages of life, including a large selection of books in more than 30 languages, author talks, literacy programs and public computers. BPL’s eResources, such as eBooks and eVideos, catalog information and free homework help, are available to customers of all ages 24 hours a day at our website.
More information about Climate Wednesdays available at: http://www.350Brooklyn.org