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TESTIMONY

Keanu Arpels-Josiah, Organizer at Fridays for Future NYC, on the Urgent Need for Climate Justice and Restoration of Community Composting Programs in New York City

7:23:41

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133 sec

Keanu Arpels-Josiah, an eighteen-year-old high school student and organizer with Fridays for Future NYC, a youth-led climate justice organization, testifies on the urgent need to address the climate crisis and restore funding for community composting programs.

Highlights the adverse effects of climate change in NYC, including the worst air quality globally and the hottest summer on record.
Criticizes the city's budget cuts, especially the elimination of the $7 million community compost program.
Emphasizes that addressing climate change is impossible without community composting initiatives.
Cites the alarming UN statement about having only two years left to save the world.
Urges investment in communities, parks, climate justice, and composting to secure the future for the younger generation.
Calls on the City Council and mayor to prioritize climate action over continued environmental neglect.

Keanu Arpels-Josiah

7:23:41

Hi.

7:23:42

My name is Kiana Orpels Josiah.

7:23:44

I'm an eighteen year old high school student and an organizer with Fridays for Future, NYC, the youth guard, climate justice organization representing high school students and young people throughout the city.

7:23:54

We're nearing the anniversary of our skies turning orange last June of asthma rates spiking of the worst air quality in the world.

7:24:01

Last summer was the hottest summer on record, though it will go down in history as the coldest one for the rest of my generation's lives.

7:24:08

And what does our city do in response cut investment after investment in our communities and in our future.

7:24:14

In New York City, 20% of our landfill waste is composed of food scraps.

7:24:19

58% of national methane emissions at greenhouse gas, 80 times more warming power than CO2 when it's released.

7:24:27

Come from these food scraps.

7:24:29

There is no addressing the climate crisis.

7:24:31

There is no climate justice without community composting.

7:24:35

Just a few weeks ago, the head of the UN Climate Body, Simon Steele, said we have 2 years left to save the world.

7:24:42

That's not hyperbullying.

7:24:43

It's high time for this city, which is ranked as the 3rd high submitting city in the world to restore the $7,000,000 community compost program entirely cut by the mayor as well as the rest of the budget cuts.

7:24:56

The current anaerobic co digestion being partially used by the city is simply not composting.

7:25:01

It actually continues to perpetuate the same system of burning fossil fuels and creating planet warming emissions.

7:25:08

Simply put, we need to invest in our communities, in our parks, in climate justice, and in film posting.

7:25:14

Our generation's future is online.

7:25:16

The question for this body, for the mayor, for the New York City, is will you choose our generation, our communities, or you hand down a dust sentence frontline communities here in New York, around the world, in the global south.

7:25:30

In 2018, Greta Thunberg left school to protest for climate justice outside the Swedish parliament.

7:25:36

In New York City, we've been doing the same here every Friday since 2019.

7:25:41

Since January 2022, just here at City Hall, every sick from every Friday from 6 from 4 to 6, we've been doing the same.

7:25:50

Stand up for our generation, restore the budget cuts.

7:25:53

Thank you.

← Previous Chapter

Speaker on behalf of Marisa DeDominicis, Executive Director of Earth Matter NY, on the Impacts of Defunding Community Composting Programs and Education Efforts

Next Chapter →

Justin Wood, Director of Policy at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, on Sanitation, Composting, and Environmental Justice Policies in New York City