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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Julia Werner, Resident of Bed Stuy, on Community Composting and Environmental Initiatives
3:30:30
ยท
131 sec
Julia Werner, a resident of Bed Stuy, expresses gratitude for the restoration of funding to New York City's community composting programs and emphasizes their importance for climate action and resiliency. She shares personal experiences and suggests ways to improve composting education and awareness in neighborhoods.
- Highlights the critical role of community composting in grassroots environmental initiatives
- Suggests implementing more educational opportunities, such as master composter classes
- Recommends using banners and signs to increase awareness about proper composting practices among local residents
Julia Werner
3:30:30
Hi counsel.
3:30:32
My name is Julia Werner.
3:30:33
I'm a resident of Bed Stuy.
3:30:35
I'm not representing anybody.
3:30:37
Thank you for the amazing students and advocates who have spoken before of imposter syndrome.
3:30:43
I just wanted to say thank you so much for recognizing the significant community and environmental value of community composting and for restoring funding to New York City's programs after they were axed from the budget.
3:30:56
After that happened, I mean I was just despondent, know, my partner was just, what's wrong?
3:31:01
You know, and I was like, I just feel like I don't even wanna be here anymore.
3:31:04
Like, nothing really matters, but seeing that you picked that up was transformative, and so thank you for continuing to fund that.
3:31:13
We're in a window of criticality in terms of climate action and resiliency at the local and state levels, particularly as federal support wanes due to EPA cuts and climate change denial.
3:31:24
It's impossible to support grassroots initiative without composting services.
3:31:30
Community composting is the literal biological grassroots part of this effort.
3:31:36
Thank you for ensuring that these essential resources continue to be available.
3:31:40
Some suggestions that I have is, you know, like I was this weekend actually, literally, I was getting ready to sign up for the master composter class and it felt more important to me than certifications from my own job.
3:31:53
I work in tech, I work in cyber security, so very far removed from the groups that we have here, but it feels more important to understand how to do this correctly and realizing that that could go away.
3:32:08
I would just really love to see it continue and also just some opportunity for more education in the neighborhoods.
3:32:15
I compost, my building compost, but I'm constantly picking bottle caps and tinfoil out of our composting bin.
3:32:22
I try to talk to my neighbors but we've recently gotten some new banners down Malcolm X and they're about not using scooters on the sidewalks which is very important.
3:32:31
But I think that maybe an opportunity is composting banners and just signs so that local residents who don't partake in these will know more.
3:32:40
Thank you.