Uptown Chats

Hosted by Jaron Burke, Lonnie Portis, WE ACT for Environmental Justice

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Join Jaron and Lonnie as they explore issues in their community through the eyes of everyday people, and discuss how environmental justice is showing up in the news. It’s not just for experts, it's for everyone! The podcast is officially 1 year old! Now that we're older and wiser, we're releasing episodes twice each month - on the second and last Monday of each month. Uptown Chats is the official podcast of WE ACT for Environmental Justice. WE ACT was founded in 1988 and has offices in New York City and Washington, D.C. You can find us online at weact.org.

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25 recent

October 12, 202632 min

Data Centers and Environmental Justice

Hyperscale data centers are getting a lot of coverage in the news lately. Join Jaron and Lonnie to learn about the impact of these data centers on environmental justice communities across the country with help from WE ACT’s Federal Policy Manager, Yosef Robele. Learn more about WE ACT's Data Center Environmental Justice Principles ! Check out one of our previous episodes featuring Dr. Nicky Sheats, where we talked about his role in the development of New Jersey’s Cumulative Impacts law, and the larger issue of cumulative impacts across the country: Episode 31: US Energy Policy Wrong Direction Mini-Series: Cumulative Impacts You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice

September 28, 202630 min

Climate Resilience and Economics

Climate week may be over, but we're still here doing the work! Join Jaron and Lonnie to learn about some of WE ACT's ongoing efforts in East Harlem to promote climate resilience along with an interview with Dr. Gary Yohe about the intersection between climate resilience and economics. Want to learn more about our work in East Harlem? RSVP for the State of East Harlem Town Hall on Wednesday, October 21st 6:00pm at El Museo del Barrio! You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice

September 14, 202640 min

Environmental Justice Leadership Forum

It's a podcast takeover! Join Tali Natter, WE ACT's Research Coordinator and former Cecil Corbin-Mark Environmental Justice Research Fellow, to get to know the Environmental Justice Leadership Forum, a group of over 40 environmental justice organizations across 24 states and D.C. hosted by WE ACT. Our special podcast episode was recorded at this year's convening in June, held in Chicago with partner People for Community Recovery (PCR), and focused on the theme 'Frontline Power: Organizing for Environmental Justice.' Dozens of groups gathered in Chicago as part of the ongoing work of the EJLF to grow together as a collective advancing environmental justice policies in a difficult political moment, and into the future. Some of the interviews were conducted during the in-person event and may not have the same audio quality as the rest of the episode - our apologies! Follow the EJLF @ejforum and ejforum.org. Learn more about the Environmental Justice Leadership Forum! You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice

August 31, 202631 min

Battery Energy Storage Systems

Battery energy storage systems are coming to NYC! Join Jaron and Lonnie to learn how this technology can help lower energy bills and improve local air quality with help from Alia Soomro, Deputy Director of New York City Policy at the New York League of Conservation Voters. This episode builds on our conversation about Peaker Plants with Yuwa Vosper, WE ACT’s Senior Policy Advisor. Check out the episode here: Episode 72 - Peaker Plants Extra Resources: Look for local energy storage projects on NYSERDA's online tool Learn more about battery energy storage systems with NYLCV's BESS Fact Sheets RSVP for an upcoming BESS site tour in the Bronx! You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice

August 10, 202625 min

Manhattan Clean Energy Hub

Have you ever struggled to pay your utility bill? Join Jaron and Lonnie to learn about one of the twelve Clean Energy Hubs across New York State that help New Yorkers access programs to lower their energy bills and participate in the clean energy transition. Our special guest for this episode is Sachaly De Leon from the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD). Want to learn more? Visit manhattancleanenergyhub.org and sign up for free support from the Manhattan Clean Energy Hub! You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice

July 27, 202626 min

Peaker Plants

Ever wonder why your utility bill is higher in the summer? Join Jaron and Lonnie to learn how peak demand and peaker plants affect both the cost of electricity and the air quality in NYC communities. Our special guest this week is WE ACT’s Senior Policy Advisor, Yuwa Vosper. Check out one of our previous episodes to learn more about energy justice and how our electricity grid works Episode 4: Energy Democracy – Power to the People Extra Resources: What is Peak Demand? (Energy Sage) You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice

July 13, 202637 min

Measuring the Impact of Extreme Heat

Summer is here and it is HOT! Join Jaron and Lonnie to learn about a new project to measure the impact of extreme heat inside the homes of everyday New Yorkers led by WE ACT’s Environmental Health Manager, Valentina Rojas. Relevant Resources: Read the NYC DOHMH 2026 Heat Mortality Report to learn more about the impact of extreme heat in NYC. Check out one of our previous episodes featuring Valentina, where we talked about her work measuring outdoor air quality in Northern Manhattan: Episode 53: Air Quality Monitoring: Congesting Pricing & Other Sources of Air Pollution You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice

June 29, 202633 min

Solar and Storytelling (Part 2)

Have you ever seen or heard a reference to climate or environmental justice in mainstream movies, TV, or novels? Join Jaron and Lonnie as they continue their conversation with Kiana Michaan, long-time WE ACT member and host of Climate with Kiana, where they discuss how climate and environmental justice show up through storytelling in all kinds of media. Make sure to check out the first part of our conversation with Kiana: Episode 69: Solar and Storytelling (Part 1) You can also hear more of Kiana on her podcast, Climate with Kiana ! You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice

June 8, 202630 min

Solar and Storytelling (Part 1)

Have you ever seen or heard a reference to climate or environmental justice in movies, TV, or novels? Join Jaron and Lonnie for their first podcast collaboration with Kiana Michaan, long-time WE ACT member and host of Climate with Kiana, where they discuss the state of the solar industry and then explore how climate and environmental justice show up through storytelling in media. Stay tuned for part two! Check out one of our previous episodes to learn more about the legacy of Cecil Corbin-Mark and his contributions to WE ACT! Episode 19: Honoring Cecil Corbin-Mark You can also hear more of Kiana on her podcast, Climate with Kiana ! You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice

May 25, 202628 min

Deep Dive on Energy Justice

Summer is almost here and that means more expensive energy bills for many people. Join Jaron and Lonnie to learn more about energy justice and how it is being impacted by climate change with help from WE ACT’s Senior Policy Manager for Energy Justice, Eric Walker. Make sure to check out the first part of this conversation if you haven’t already: Episode 65: Energy Justice in New York You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Call our Uptown Chats Hotline at 877-UPTOWN6! You can also email us at podcast@weact.org . Make sure to subscribe to the WE ACT newsletter for updates, upcoming events and actions you can take! Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice You can also listen to this episode on YouTube . Got questions? Email us at podcast@weact.org Connect with the show: Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Donate to WE ACT for Environmental Justice

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