Media outlets are starting to put more resources into covering the worsening climate crisis. But what’s taking so long? Why aren’t there more full-time climate reporters, and why aren’t there more stories connecting “everyday issues” to climate change? What’s the toll from the decline of local journalism, and how does it affect coverage of environmental justice? Hear former New York Times journalist Andrew Revkin, media watchdog Genevieve Guenther, Dharna Noor of Earther and Gizmodo, and Rachel Ramirez of Vox examine common flaws in climate reporting and how the media can do better.

This workshop will take place online via Zoom. Please RSVP to receive the Zoom link prior to the event. It can also be streamed live on YouTube here.

Speakers:

Andrew Revkin has written about climate change for more than 30 years, mostly for The New York Times. He has held top positions at National Geographic and Discover Magazine, won top awards in science journalism as well as a Guggenheim fellowship, and has authored books about climate change. He now directs the Initiative on Communication Innovation and Impact at Columbia University’s Earth Institute.

Genevieve Guenther is a Renaissance scholar and the founding director of End Climate Silence, a volunteer organization dedicated to helping the news media cover the climate crisis “with the accuracy and urgency it deserves.” She is a member of the affiliate faculty at The New School, where she serves on the advisory board of the Tishman Environment and Design Center, and is an expert reviewer for the Sixth Assessment Report of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Dharna Noor is a journalist and video producer. She is a staff writer at Earther@Gizmodo, where she reports on energy, environment, climate change, environmental justice, and conservation.

Rachel Ramirez covers race, environmental justice, energy, and climate science for Huffpost, The Guardian, Grist, Vox, and other publications. She is a co-founder of the Asian American Journalists Association Pacific Islander Task Force.

Professors in your network that own properties/operate sustainability programming who would be interested in taking on interns in Winter 2021 and have
them fill out this brief survey.

The NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability is gearing up for its Winter 2021 cohort of the NYC Accelerator internship program which is a partnership with
the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development and CUNY Institute for Urban Systems Building Performance Lab (BPL). This 15-week paid internship
program is designed to train advanced undergraduate and graduate STEM students and match them with companies committed to
sustainability. Through this program, companies can employ STEM interns with specialized training that will advance the organization’s carbon reduction
goals.

We are writing to you because we are trying to diversify our pool of employers in the building energy efficiency space to increase intern
placements. Attached you will find an FAQ sheet with more information about the program NYC Accelerator Internship Program.

There are funding opportunities to cover the cost of the intern’s salary.
1. Up to 90% of the intern’s salary can be paid for through the NYSERDA Clean Energy Internship PON.
2. The Federal Work Study Experimental (FWS XSITE) program through the City University of New York has been approved by the
Department of Education for 3 years and you can hire students during the Fall and Spring semesters. Attached is the flyer with a link
for employers to fill out a request to receive the necessary forms to participate in the FWSXSITE program. If your company is
interested in learning more about these opportunities please let me know so that I can set up an informational call with the program
administrators.
Best,
Milka Rodriguez, Policy Advisor
mrodriguez1@sustainability.nyc.gov

Below you will find more information about the program that you can share with your contacts.
What training do the interns have?
Interns will come to you from science, technology, engineering and sustainability management backgrounds, and with training from CUNY’s Building
Performance Lab. They will have access to CUNY faculty for troubleshooting throughout the internship. This ensures that the interns can address the
unique contexts of your facilities and handle unexpected tasks.
How can the interns help my company?
Interns can provide 15 hours or more a week to work on projects according to your needs. Interns may:
• Contribute to ongoing employer priorities related to capital planning and building energy performance
• Review existing energy audits and capital needs assessments
• Document and calculate impacts of existing and planned energy conservation measures
• Calculate building loads and inventorying key heating, cooling and electricity systems
• Collect and analyze resident survey information
• Support implementation of projects customized for your organization’s needs
What is required of me?
• Supervise the intern and evaluate performance at the end of the term
• Pay at least $13.50/hr for undergraduates or $15/hr for graduate students (paid directly by employer)
• Sign a commitment letter outlining the hours, stipend, company benefits and supervision provisions
• Extend company liability, worker’s compensation, and disability insurance policies to cover interns.
What is the timeline?
January 15th
Employer submits commitment letter, job description and obtains internal approvals
February 15th
Matching and interviews start
March 5th
Intern Start Date
March 2021 to June 2021
Host intern and complete the intern evaluation

“The four week intensive program utilizing the Lean Startup methodology to get student ‘out of the building‘ to conduct customer discovery”.  Students Afolabi Ibitoye, Gregorz Kosieradzki, and Jude Rene Vallon learned how to talk to potential customers, partners and competitors in understanding the market potential for their product the STA’s own : Solar-Rain Canopy of the Urban Oasis Project.

A photo of the tour hosted by Craig Toohey of the 475 High Performance Supplies facility.  Students were presented with products and supplies that meet high performance standards as well as Passive Housing building blocks

Student’s under the direction of Prof. Alexander Aptekar working on new installations project for the Solar Canopy in collaboration with Artist Josh of Park-Ways at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

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