Sustainability Weekly
Fridays are for…
Earth Month, Clean Drinking Water, “Green Banks”, Chemical Plant Protection, and more!
by Alli DiGiacomo
Happy Friday and Earth Month 2024! As we are counting down the days until Earth Day on April 22nd, look out for a schedule of CTA’s Earth week events coming soon! In the meantime, see a list of SO MANY local events below. Also, this Earth Month Activity Calendar is an extremely impressive resource that I urge you to scroll through and share with your friends and family! It includes activities for kids of all ages and adults, with interactive links and activities.
This month is a perfect time to take a hard look at your carbon footprint. One thing to do is eat less meat. You don’t have to go full vegetarian or vegan to help cut down on greenhouse gas emissions from the meat industry. Even reducing your meat consumption once per week can go a long way. This weekend, visit your local farmers market and try a new recipe using in-season ingredients. One of the best things you can do is take public transportation, walk, bike, or carpool when possible. As the weather is getting warmer, it’s a perfect time to explore local bike routes (and good for our health)! Don’t forget, CTA offers annual citibike memberships.
P.S. Don't forget to bring in your eclipse glasses to be donated!
Keep reading for more of this week’s sustainability news!
EARTH MONTH EVENTS IN NYC
We are lucky to live in a city with so many amazing events happening that celebrate Earth! Take advantage of it!
🌱(4/4 - 4/17) EARTH DAY 2024 ART: “Single-Use Reflections”: 7 am-10 pm at the High Line (between 15th St and 16th St).
🌱(4/12) Iris Trio: A Concert and Conversation at the Climate Museum in Soho NYC (RSVP)
🌱(4/13) Earth Sessions x TREEage Present: Youth Summit for Green Healthy Schools (Info)
🌱(4/13) NYC Discovery Lab - Nature in the City, 11am- 4pm at the Museum of the City of New York. Free with admission. (Link)
🌱(4/14) EARTH DAY 2024 FESTIVAL: 12 - 6 pm at Union Square (East 17th Street and Park Avenue South). Free and open to the public. (RSVP)
🌱(4/14) Brown Girl Green’s Love & Climate Earth Day Speed Date Event at the Earth Day Initiative Festival in New York City (RSVP)
🌱(4/14) NYC Upcycled Pop-Up: 10:00am - 5:30pm at Grand Bazaar NYC, 100 West 77th St., NY, NY 10024 (at Columbus Avenue) (Link)
🌱(4/16) Poetry and Climate: A Book Launch, Reading, and Panel at the Climate Museum in Soho NYC (RSVP)
🌱(4/20) Open Streets: Car-free Earth Day. 53 Streets around NYC will be closed to cars 10am - 4pm. (Link)
🌱(4/20) Earth Day at Governor’s Island: 10am - 3pm in Colonels Row. Free and open to all. (Link)
🌱(4/20) Pier 57 Earth Day Celebration: Clothing Swap, Climate Talks, Vegan Eats. 11am - 5pm. (RSVP)
🌱(4/20) Seaport Kids X Earth Day: 11am - 2pm at Seaport Square & Wavertree, 89 South Street, between Piers 16 & 17. (Link)
🌱(4/21) Earth Day Celebration at the Climate Museum in Soho NYC (RSVP)
🌱(4/21) NYC Earth Day Bazaar: 10:00am - 5:30pm at Grand Bazaar NYC, 100 West 77th St. (at Columbus Avenue) (Link)
🌱(4/23) Braving a New World: Audio Theater and the Climate Crisis at the Climate Museum in Soho NYC (RSVP)
🌱(4/25) False Solutions: Plastic Recycling, Green Colonialism, Carbon Capture at the Climate Museum in Soho NYC (RSVP)
🌱(4/27) Earth Fest at the Museum of Natural History: 10am - 4pm. Free with museum admission. (Link)
Please email adigiacomo@ctaarchitects.com if there are any more events missing from this list!
T H I S W E E K ’ S T O P S T O R I E S
EPA FINALIZES THE NATION’S 1ST PFAS LIMITS IN DRINKING WATER
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has implemented the nation's inaugural drinking water standards for certain PFAS, commonly known as "forever chemicals." These regulations target 6 of the most pervasive PFAS compounds that cause various health issues such as cancer and developmental damage.The new standards impose limits on the concentration of these substances in drinking water, with PFOA and PFOS capped at approximately 4 parts per trillion and three other common PFAS at 10 parts per trillion. While these regulations cover only a fraction of the extensive PFAS class, they are estimated to safeguard around 100 million people and prevent tens of thousands of serious illnesses.
States have been granted a five-year timeframe to comply with the new drinking water standards, including testing water supplies and implementing necessary filtration upgrades. The EPA's regulation is partly funded by nearly $1 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to aid in testing and cleanup efforts. Some experts caution that regulating PFAS on a chemical-by-chemical basis may not adequately address the broader class of these substances. There are concerns that manufacturers may substitute regulated compounds with lesser-studied but equally hazardous alternatives. The EPA defends its approach, emphasizing the need to prioritize chemicals with substantial evidence of toxicity.
THE EPA FINALIZED LIMITS TO REDUCE TOXIC POLLUTION AND PROTECT COMMUNITIES AROUND U.S. CHEMICAL PLANTS
The EPA has been busy lately! Impacting more than 200 chemical plants in the U.S., and the communities around them, the EPA just announced a new rule to reduce toxic emissions linked to cancer-causing pollutants. Under the new rule, toxic pollutants will be lowered by 6,200 tons per year, and emissions from ethylene oxide (used to make antifreeze, pesticides, and more) and chloroprene (synthetic rubber for shoes and wetsuits) will be reduced by 80%. The guidelines around air pollution at chemical plants haven’t been updated since 2006, and will also require six toxic air pollutants to be tracked with much more detailed monitoring, as well as stronger monitoring at plants around leaks.
COMMUNITY “GREEN BANKS” ARE GETTING FUNDING
$20 billion is going to “green banks,” in the form of local nonprofits which will lend public money to communities to invest in things like solar panels and energy-efficiency upgrades. The money comes from the Inflation Reduction Act and is aimed at supporting disadvantaged communities. Rather than establishing a centralized bank, the funding is distributed to eight selected applicants with a track record of investing in community projects. They are tasked with directly injecting loans into communities, prioritizing low-income and marginalized recipients and allowing communities to define their own clean energy priorities.
Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized the importance of empowering communities to decide on projects that will have the greatest impact locally. The initiative is expected to leverage private investment, with the EPA projecting a $7-to-$1 ratio of private spending to federal investment. This multiplier effect could potentially lead to nearly $200 billion in green investment.
MORE IN SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
Brazil and France ‘Join Forces’ with $1.1 Billion Green Investment Plan for Amazon Rainforest.
Homebuyers in NY now have a right to see flood risk.
M&S invests £1m in tackling methane from burping and farting cows.
Catan’s new board game lets you pit fossil fuels against green energy.
EV chargers are coming to National Parks.
A startup is turning methane into fertilizer.
Flaring and venting at Industrial plants causes roughly two premature deaths each day, a new study finds.
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You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”