{{ FirstName | default: ‘Friend’ }}, although we have shoveled out from the Christmas Blizzard, we are still repairing the damages, and we continue to mourn the 47 deaths from the storm, disproportionately black folk from Buffalo’s East Side. And yet, a month later, our federal government has not made a Major Disaster Declaration for our region.

The murders of Tyre Nichols and Tortuguita by the state may seem unrelated, but when we look holistically at how our nation funds the police and military at levels disproportionately higher than other emergency services and preventative and preparedness programs, and when we examine at how intrinsically linked local police and national military spending is, the links become much more clear.

If we are fighting against environmental injustices, for frontline communities amid the worsening climate crisis, and for a Just Transition, then we also unequivocally fight for an abolitionist future.

With Bread and Roses,

Chris, Bridge and Phil

Earlier this month, EarthJustice filed an appeal on behalf of the residents of North Tonawanda, Clean Air and Sierra Club of the Public Service Commission’s approval to sell the Fortistar Power Plant to Digihost Technologies. Read the full press release from EarthJustice by clicking here, or check out some of the press coverage, including this article in The Guardian! If interested in joining our North Tonawanda campaign work, please reach out to Bridge.

Click here to see the recording of the training we held on Zoning and Environmental Justice, and be sure to pencil in Clean Air for the evening of all Third Thursdays evenings this year (excepting February).

prioritize environmental justice in the implementation, we feel pressure needs to be kept on throughout the program development. As such, we encourage all our members and supporters to send a letter to her office using this NYRenews toolkit and read some of the press coverage highlighting critiques.

• City Limits – Hochul’s ‘Cap-and-Invest’ Climate Plan Stirs Skepticism From Environmentalists & Polluters Alike
• NYFocus – Kathy Hochul Calls for ‘Cap and Invest’ to Slash Emissions
• State of Politics – Calls grow for fossil fuel giants to pay into $75B fund to reverse climate change

The Erie County Climate Action Taskforce is accepting public comments and feedback on the draft Transportation Resilience Strategies through February 6. Read the draft strategies by clicking here, and send feedback by clicking here. 

On Thursday February 2 at 6pm, both the Energy Democracy Alliance and NYRenews are hosting trainings on upcoming legislative efforts. Join EDA for a call on Building Power through the State Budget, or join NYRenews for a Mass Call to prepare for actions around the Climate Jobs and Justice package.

The NYS Department of Conservation and the NYS Department of Health are accepting public comments through March 3 on a proposed Brownfield Clean Up at 703 East Delavan. Click here to learn more, including how and where to submit public comments.

The EPA is proposing stronger regulations on Particulate Matter Size! 

This is big news – the last revision was in 2012, and the new regulations as currently written would strengthen the PM2.5 standard from a level of 12 micrograms per cubic meter to a level between 9 and 10 micrograms per cubic meter.

However, while the new regulations would be a step above the current rules, this still would fall short of recommendations from the World Health Organization, and even the EPA’s own Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee.

Take action today to tell the EPA that we need them to go further with the new proposed regulation – click here to send a letter using the Mom’s Clean Air Taskforce toolkit, or click here to send a comment directly. The EPA is accepting comments through March 28, 2023.

Honoring Joye Braun and Tortuguita

Clean Air joins environmental and climate justice advocates around the world in mourning and honoring the memories of two heroes of the movement, Joye Braun and Tortuguita.

Joye Braun was a pipeline resister who was prominent at the Dakota Access Pipeline Blockade, and passed recently from longtime health complications. In January, groups across Turtle Island demonstrated to honor her legacy and resist pipelines as well as pressure President Biden to declare a Climate Emergency.

Tortuguita was part of the Stop Cop City forest defender resistance encampment in Atlanta, GA. Cop City is a proposal to turn a 381-acre public forest, formerly a plantation, into a mock city for police forces to practice repressing urban uprisings. On January 18, Georgia State Troopers shot and killed them during a sweep of the encampment.

Take a moment to read some of the links below on these two heroes of the movement, and click the links to take action to honor them.

Read more about Joye Braun’s life and legacy, and about the January Joye Braun Day of Action

• Jezebel Magazine – “Meet the Brave, Audacious, Astonishing Women Who Built the Standing Rock Movement“
• ICT News – “Joye Braun, the firestorm, dies at 53“
• Waging Nonviolence – “Climate activists and water protectors honor pipeline resister Joye Braun with a national day of action“
• People vs. Fossil Fuels – “Spark Joye , Extinguish Fossil Fuels: Virtual Kick-off Rally” (video)

Learn about proposed or current fossil fuel pipeline projects in the Great Lakes and upstate NY

• Oil and Water Don’t Mix – Line 5 Enbridge oil pipeline through Lake Michigan & Huron
• Stop Line 3 – Enbridge oil pipeline through Minnesota 
• Info from LittleSis on the Northern Access fossil gas pipeline project  through WNY and WPA
• January 31 (tomorrow) DEC public virtual hearing on the proposed Iroquois Enhancement by Compression (ExC) fossil gas pipeline project

Learn more about the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline Project – 

• Appalachian Voices petitions “No special treatment for Mountain Valley Pipeline“
• “Tell the Army Corps: Don’t grant MVP’s permit!“

Remember Joye Braun by contacting the White House and demand President Biden declare a Climate Emergency today and put a hold on any new or expanded federal fossil fuel infrastructure

Read more about Tortuguita 

• Bitter Southerner – “The Forest for the Trees“, an extensive in-depth look at the Stop Cop City movement, includes short interview with Tortuguita 

• Them Magazine – “Queer “Cop City” Protestor Tortuguita Fatally Shot by Law Enforcement in Atlanta” 

• Democracy Now – “Atlanta Police Kill Forest Defender at Protest Encampment Near Proposed “Cop City” Training Center“

Read more about the Stop Cop City Forest Defender Resistance and take action in support

• The Intercept – “The Crackdown on Cop City Protesters Is So Brutal Because of the Movement’s Success” 
• Grist.org – “Documents show how 19 ‘Cop City’ activists got charged with terrorism” 
• https://defendtheatlantaforest.org/solidarity/
• https://atlsolidarity.org/ 
• https://stopcop.city/ 
• https://stopreevesyoung.com 

Also check out this coverage from the Daily Show, where correspondent Roy Wood Jr. visited the encampment and spoke with demonstrators and supporters.

Support these young leaders of the climate justice movement by signing this petition, and watch Youth v Gov on Netflix to learn more.

Contact Bridge to if interested in participating as a Clean Air member in any planned local actions in response.

Click here to learn more, but apply soon – the deadline to apply for all these scholarships is February 28, 2023!

If you are a teacher or youth program organizer, NYS DEC will also send you seedlings for FREE for classroom instruction! 

Want to know what tree species are approved by the City of Buffalo Forestry Department for planting? Click here to view the list.

CACWNY Events

• February 9 – Mutual Aid and Stop the Bleed/Hands-only CPR training, click here to sign up for notification for next training
• Late February  – Clean Air Rezoning Meeting in Tonawanda start, follow our social media or contact Bridge for more info
• March 5 – Climate Cafe, click here to register
  • Join Clean Air members for a Climate Cafe where we will discuss how climate change is affecting us.
• March 16 –  Clean Air General Meeting
• March 28 – Clean Air Annual Meeting
• April –  a discussion about A Paradise Built in Hell with the Progressive Book Club
• April 18 – first Clean Air Power Building Mixer, a chance to meet with other members and folks in WNY movement justice work
• April 22 – Earth Day, contact Bridge if you are interested in participating in the Town of Tonawanda clean-up with other Clean Air members

Community and Coalition Events

• February 2  – EDA Call
• February 2 – NYRenews Call
• February 28 – deadline for NYWEA college scholarships
• March 1 – deadline for Sea Grant NY small grant applications

Public Comment Deadlines and Hearings

• January 31 – DEC virtual public hearing on the proposed Iroquois Enhancement by Compression (ExC) fossil gas pipeline project
• February 6 – deadline for public feedback on the Erie County Climate Action Taskforce draft Transportation Resilience Strategies.
• March 3 – 703 E Delavan NYS DEC Brownfield Application comments due
• March 28 – deadline on public comment on proposed EPA regulatory changes to Particulate Matter rules

Our dear friends at Black Love Resists in the Rust are helping coordinate mutual aid donations and services in response to 5/14 – click here for their Linktree to learn more, and follow their Facebook or Twitter pages for the latest updates, including current volunteer opportunities.

Be sure to check out the Buffalo Mutual Aid Network Facebook group, where mutual aid services and calls for donations and donations are being posted on an ongoing basis. You can also click here to join the Buffalo Snow Brigade. We also suggest checking out the resources at mutualaiddisasterrelief.org as well as their new website relieftoolkit.com.

If interested in joining mutual aid efforts with Clean Air, particularly in the realm of community resiliency amid climate change,
please reach out to Bridge.

Interested in joining our Tonawanda Tomorrow or River Road campaigns, Proof of Work campaign, or supporting NYRenews/climate justice?

Interested in joining our Peabody Street, TESLA campaigns, Energy Democracy Alliance, or other Just Transition campaign work?

Interested in joining our
American Axle campaign?

Interested in joining our events committee, mutual aid team, or want to connect with CACWNY about an emerging campaign or issue?