Hi {{ FirstName | commonize | default: ‘Friend’ }},

2025 has been A YEAR is all we can say – attacks and funding cuts against long standing principles of basic environmental protection federally, rollbacks on hard fought climate wins in New York and the proliferation of polluting energy hungry data centers everywhere! In February Clean Air’s federal EPA grant was illegally canceled in an attempt to weaken our movement and our power.

Well guess what – we are still here!
We are still resisting authoritarian attacks and still reimagining resilient, safe, and supportive communities for all. We are in fact stronger because of it.

Thanks to our donors, funding partners, and hard work from our staff and board we have almost made up for the budget cuts this year, but we need your help to get over the finish line to finish 2025 off strong and step off 2026 on strong footing.
We have a goal of raising $20,000 in grassroots donations by the end of 2025. 

Please join us to support to support organizing for justice locally to protect democracy nationally!

With Bread and Roses,
Bridge, Chris, Cindy, and Kiera

We are currently reviewing applications for the January 20-23 full Midwest Academy training and will be reaching out to folks starting later this week.

In the meantime, if you’re interested in joining us for the one-day training on Saturday January 24, you can register now. Please share the link widely – we are aiming for over 100 participants! More details, including the location, will be announced in coming weeks.

Thank you to all our members and supporters who joined us for our November General Meeting – fellow WNY residents continue to be swept up in immigration raids, so it’s crucial that we all learn what rights we have to lawfully resist and protect our neighbors. The New York Immigration Coalition has more Know Your Rights training materials available on their website.

Did you miss our joint training on Data Centers that we held last week with Allies of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and NYC DSA? The recording is now available – click here to view!

Related, here are some headlines from this month that we came across if you want to read more about this topic.

Wired Magazine – The Trump Administration’s Data Center Push Could Open the Door for New Forever Chemicals

The Verge – Republicans are looking for a way to bring back the AI moratorium

The Verge – I looked into CoreWeave and the abyss gazed back: meet the company Nvidia is propping up.

The Center for Public Enterprise – Bubble or Nothing

TruthDig – The Ecological Cost of AI Is Much Higher Than You Think

Gizmodo – US Approves $1B Loan to Restart Three Mile Island, as Microsoft Data Centers Drive Demand

Inside Climate News – Members of America’s Largest Power Grid Can’t Agree on How to Power Data Centers

Gothamist – NY talks over Tesla Buffalo plant sputter in ‘fits and starts’

On the heels of a New York Times investigation into the connections between Governor Hochul and fossil fuel companies that benefit from her approval of the NESE pipeline downstate, our friends at NYRenews and Little Sis have released a new bombshell report on petrochemical lobbyist spending and the Governor – read the report here, or click here for summary analysis by The New Republic.

Skip the Starbucks Red Cup this holiday season – our friends at Starbucks Workers United are on strike at locations across the nation, including here in Buffalo!

In anticipation of larger healthcare premiums due to the elimination of subsidies by Congress, the Campaign for New York Health is preparing for a big push in 2026 – take action now to urge our state reps in Albany to support the NY Health Act in the upcoming legislative term!

The WNY Ranked Choice Coalition is looking for signatures for it’s City of Buffalo and Erie County petitions – take a moment to voice your support for RCV in WNY!

Buffalo Petition

Erie County Petition

There are a couple of opportunities this month to participate in public engagement processes for transportation projects.

In Buffalo, NYS DOT is starting it’s “Queen City Forward” initiative to decide the future of the 33 Expressway with a listening session tomorrow, December 2nd from 5-7pm at the Schiller Park Senior Citizen Center, 2057 Genesee Street.

In the Northtowns, the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council is holding a workshop on December 9th from 6-7pm at the DFK Pavilion, 1200 Parker Blvd in Tonawanda, for the Northtown Community Trails Project.

The City Charter Revision Commission will hold the next public hearing on Thursday, December 4th at 6pm at the Tosh Collins Community Center located at 35 Cazenovia St. Buffalo, NY 14210.

The Buffalo News last week interviewed DEC Commissioner Lefton – read the interview here.

There are also multiple comment periods currently open –

Draft Investigation Work Plan for Clayton Street Residences, 127 Clayton Street, Buffalo, comments due December 5, 2025

Draft Investigation Work Plan for 631 Northland Avenue, Buffalo, comments due December 5, 2025.

Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) application and Draft Remedial Investigation Work Plan for Bridge Street Landing, 78 Bridge Street North Tonawanda, comments due December 19, 2025.

 Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) application for the Former Erie Rail Yard Site at  250 Baitz Avenue and 1000 Bailey Avenue in Buffalo, comments due December 19, 2025.

No Further Action Proposal for 3200 Clinton Street in West Seneca, comments due December 20, 2025.

Caroline Preston, The Hechinger Report – Teachers unions leverage contracts to fight climate change 

Colin Kinniburgh, NYS Focus – Why Did Hochul Back Down on New York’s Gas Ban?

In These Times Editorial Board – Labor Solidarity Defends Against Deportations 

Grist Magazine

• Sophie Hurwitz – Can Mamdani supercharge New York’s clean energy revolution?
• Naveena Sadasivam – How government shutdowns give polluters a free pass

Canary Media

• Alison F. Takemura – Meet the coal miner who just started a geothermal drilling business
• Alison F. Takemura – Electrify your home with our handy roundup before tax credits expire

The Buffalo News

• Mackenzie Shuman – Documents show how companies pollute for years with lapsed DEC oversight 
• Stephen T. Watson and Natalie Brophy – Blue wave hits Tonawandas, where Democrats unseated GOP officeholders in key races

Interested in connecting with CACWNY generally as an organization, have an emerging campaign or issue you’d like CACWNY to consider, or are you interested in joining our Peabody Street or  Lovejoy campaigns?
Do you know of a grant opportunity that might support our work?

Interested in supporting Clean Air’s grassroots fundraising efforts, or joining our events or membership committee, including our Rapid Response Team?

Interested in joining our Tonawanda Just Transition campaign teams, our work to regulate cryptocurrency mining, our Energy Democracy work, or have a submission for this monthly newsletter?

Want to join our American Axle campaign or support our work in the Delavan-Grider neighborhood and greater East Side, or support our statewide climate justice work with NYRenews,?

Interested in donating to support our work?