Forest fires in California, intense flooding in India, and record high temperatures here in New York have made climate change more evident than ever. Our society is fortunate to have relatively extensive access to devices of comfort like AC that allow us to go about our daily business, and perhaps this has made the implications of this business seemingly less real to us. Institutional efforts to make research on and measures to combat climate change more accessible are critical, and one of the most significant is Climate Week NYC 2018. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the weeklong event. If you’re looking for resources that will help you be a part of a more sustainable community, read on.
Origins and Impact
Climate Week NYC is a summit run by The Climate Group, a non-profit organization working internationally to “accelerate climate action” and achieve average increase of 2 degrees Celsius. It began in 2009 in anticipation of the Copenhagen Negotiations, a conference hosted by the UN to reevaluate the Kyoto Protocol and establish new goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Not only does it bring together officials with power to take definitive action, its unique approach addresses these issues more holistically—involving the entire New York community. Incorporating events hosted by art institutions, academia, advocacy groups and businesses, it brings the dialogue that had prior been contained to the lofty rhetoric of political summits to a practical level. Ordinary people are able to experience how their everyday choices can either help or harm the planet.
The impact of such an intentional gathering of leaders along with events, that engage the public, has been seen both on a political and social level. The main concept behind the Kyoto Protocol of 2007 was to gather the most developed countries, responsible for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions, and establish goals to reduce these emissions. The U.S., likely the most powerful and responsible of these nations, rejected it. In an interview following the treaty, President George W. Bush stated, “The Kyoto treaty didn’t suit our needs. In other words, the Kyoto Treaty would have wrecked our economy.” His response illustrated the most significant challenge to addressing climate change: unwillingness to change what has become the way of life in consumer-driven societies.
Further progress such as the Paris Agreement increased pressure on countries to strategically and concretely meet reported goals. President Obama’s remark on the Paris Agreement illustrated how awareness cultivated through initiatives like Climate Week permeates our perspective on how economic prosperity and sustainable practices can coexist : “The nations that remain in the Paris agreement will be the nations that reap the benefits in jobs and industries created.”
President Trump has since withdrawn U.S. involvement in this treaty, but the pressure on business and corporations to implement sustainable practices is on an upward trajectory. This year isClimate Week’s ten-year anniversary. It is evident that the cultural mentality has shifted. Some of the most influential companies, including National Grid, Lyft, Estee Lauder, and IKEA are sponsors, pledging their commitment to green practices. IKEA claims, “One of our key ambitions is to become climate positive. This means aiming to reduce more greenhouse gas emissions than the IKEA value chain emits by drastically reducing the climate footprint of products and operations in absolute terms, capturing and storing carbon within the value chain and working together with home furnishing suppliers across their entire factories (not just the manufacturing for IKEA). In addition, IKEA will enable customers to save and generate renewable energy at home.” Climate Week’s educational events have created a widespread sense of urgency among the population, increasing pressure on the businesses that shape our lifestyles, and therefore significantly influencing people’s choices to live consciously or wastefully.
How to Get Involved
Here are a few of the many events happening during this year’s Climate Week. Get involved in the city’s green efforts!
Volunteering & Reuse Opportunities:
Greencycle Back-to-School Swap
Saturday, September 29th, 12 Noon – 3 PM
81 Devoe St, Brooklyn NY
Have lots of stuff taking up space in your closet? Bring everything over to the Greencycle Swap. NO NEED TO BRING THINGS TO TAKE THINGS! Join Town Square’s efforts to recycle, reuse and reduce! Drop off your cleaned and useable SHOES, BOOKS, TOYS, BICYCLES, PHONES, HOUSEHOLD ITEMS & ELECTRONICS – and browse the selection. We’ll accept electronics until 2 PM. To skip the suggested donation at the door, SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER. See you there!
Tree Care Event
Sunday, September 30, 11AM – 1 PM
61 Franklin Street Community Garden, Brooklyn NY
Come learn how to steward our local street trees with Greening Greenpoint and 61 Franklin St. Community Garden! MORE INFO HERE.
Artistic and Immersive Experience
THE POINT: Elements of Change at Castillo Theater
Friday, September 28th, 4 PM – 6 PM
Castillo Theatre, 543 West 42nd Street, New York, NY
THE POINT is a unique collaboration to produce a series of artistic activations during NYC Climate Week. The project’s purpose is to use the arts in various forms to educate on the issue of climate change, and to inspire young people (both locally and globally) to take action for a better future. As part of the event, the partners present Elements of Change by Divya Mangwani, a theatrical event based on “Tré: The Adventures of Brother Earth,” the comic book by Sona Sridhar, winner of the inaugural UNICEF Climate Comic Contest. Following the performance, audiences are welcome to stay for a post-show conversation around the merging of the arts and sustainability field to address climate change. FREE REGISTRATION.
Activism and Participatory Experiences
The Tech Spectrum of Food Waste
Monday, September 24th, 6 PM – 5 PM
Ag Tech X co Lab @ Agritecture, 40 Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Food Waste has been identified as one of the most crucial environmental & social challenges of this century. MORE INFO HERE
Your Parks are Our Parks
Thursday, September 27th, 6 PM – 8 PM
Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St, Brooklyn, NY
A new parks coalition is here: The Brooklyn Parks Coalition is aimed to give advocates and visitors of the parks alike a platform to work together. MORE INFO HERE
Other Ways to Celebrate Climate Week
Support and enjoy green space initiatives that have been brought about by Climate Week’s impact. Examples include Domino Park and Transmitter Park in Williamsburg/Greenpoint.