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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sophia Melazo, Member of WE ACT for Environmental Justice
1:40:03
ยท
122 sec
Sophia Melazo from WE ACT for Environmental Justice testifies in support of the cooling center program and Intro 998, emphasizing the critical importance of these centers for low-income New Yorkers during extreme heat events. She highlights the projected increase in extreme heat days in New York City and the health risks associated with extreme heat, particularly for vulnerable populations like children.
- Melazo works in pediatric environmental health at Mount Sinai and stresses the life-saving nature of cooling centers for families with children and low-income families of color.
- She urges the city council to pass Intro 998 to improve the accessibility and use of cooling centers across the city.
- Melazo also calls for adequate funding to support the cooling center program and realize the objectives laid out in the bill.
Sophia Melazo
1:40:03
Hello.
1:40:04
My name is Sophia Melazo and I am here with WE ACT for Environmental Justice.
1:40:08
I live in City Council District 39, and I work in pediatric environmental health at Mount Sinai, which is located in City Council District 8 and serves New Yorkers from all districts.
1:40:18
Thank you to committee chair Shulman for hearing my testimony in support of equitable climate policy.
1:40:23
The cooling center program is a critical safety net for low income New Yorkers during extreme heat events.
1:40:29
New York City's New York's climate impact assessments climate projections for New York City show some of the state's largest increases in extreme heat.
1:40:37
New York City has historically experienced an average of four days per year over 95 degrees Fahrenheit, but this number is projected to increase to as high as 32 per year by mid century, which is over a month each year of dangerously hot days.
1:40:53
And it's expected to increase to almost two full months per year by the end of the century.
1:40:59
Cooling centers are a vital community resource on these extreme heat days.
1:41:04
Extreme heat causes direct and indirect health effects that span acute illness and chronic health issues.
1:41:11
These health effects are more likely to affect our most vulnerable community members.
1:41:15
Children are a particularly high risk group.
1:41:18
As someone who works with a team of pediatricians, I cannot overstate how important it is for families with children and low income families of color to have options for cool, safe, convenient spaces if they don't have adequate AC where they stay.
1:41:33
It's a life saving health measure.
1:41:36
Intro September would significantly improve the accessibility and use of cooling centers across the city, providing a much needed refuge for those who are most at risk from extreme heat.
1:41:46
I strongly urge the city council to pass this legislation.
1:41:50
We also hope that the city council prioritize the cooling center program with adequate funding.
1:41:55
The objectives laid out in this bill can only be realized if the city reinforces its climate disaster response goals with financial support.
1:42:03
Thank you for your time.