Brooklyn is one of the most affected by industrial development boroughs of New York City. In the 21st century, most of the dirty enterprises were closed but the imprint on the ecological state remained. Many Brooklynites are actively trying to defend their right to a clean world around them. Public environmental organizations are helpful for this. One of them is 350Brooklyn. Learn more about it on brooklyn-name.
It all started in winter
In 2015, activists participating in the People’s Climate March decided to create a new branch of a large environmental organization. They gave it the rather unusual name 350Brooklyn. This is a branch of the international organization 350.org. There are more than 200 such branches in the world.
The small charitable company was founded by activists. Still, it started to grow rapidly. A management committee, working groups and a large staff appeared. Newsletters were sent to thousands of people by mail.
The new organization was able to contribute to the protection of the ecology of the Big Apple. The influence of 350Brooklyn extended even to the passing of official laws. 350Brooklyn played a leading role in the installation of the Williams pipeline. Its construction was dangerous for New York’s waterways. The NYC Department of Environmental Protection has repeatedly rejected a permit for a project to extract gas by a dangerous explosive method. However, the businessmen did not give up. Thus, 350Brooklyn also joined the challenge.
They were part of a coalition of supporters of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. They also achieved success in resolving the zoning issue of the Gowanus district. The water canal in this area is one of the dirtiest in the city.
New York eco-activists have fought a lot to improve air quality through the introduction of environmentally friendly transportation. Thus, 350Brooklyn actively supported the idea of replacing school buses with electric ones.
The organization was able to achieve such influence thanks to an active position. 350Brooklyn organized a large number of rallies and environmental protests.
Useful friends
350Brooklyn is a non-profit organization. However, they still need money to hold promotions and carry out professional activities. The non-profit group SocialGood is helping Brooklynites with this.
The organization has a flat democratic structure. All employees work on a voluntary basis. The Steering Committee consists of 12 people who meet monthly.
The main principle of personnel policy of 350Brooklyn is democracy. All disputed issues are resolved by reaching a consensus.
Each working group has its own responsibilities. For example, the mass media group deals with all issues related to this work.
Other working groups are engaged in actions on various topics. Basically, 350Brooklyn chooses the issues they can influence. It is better to argue against the gasification of new buildings and succeed in it than to clamor about deforestation in China without any results or impact.
Memorable actions
On December 11, 2015, 196 countries of the world completed negotiations on the Paris climate agreement. This was a historic event for ecology. To support and film this date, 350Brooklyn together with branches from New Jersey and New York City, held a bright promotion. Activists lined up in a red line in front of the Statue of Liberty on Staten Island. It symbolized a rapidly warming planet.
The place was not chosen by chance. Global warming is causing glaciers to melt and sea levels to rise. Due to this, some territories on the planet may go under water and Staten Island too. People should keep this in mind. Coastal cities are especially worried about this.
Not all 350Brooklyn promotions are so peaceful. In 2016, 350 protesters blockaded the headquarters of National Grid. Some of the Protestants were arrested. At the time, they were protesting National Grid, which was trying to expand a fracked gas pipeline in Brooklyn.