BY GRANT LANCASTER
The Battery Park City Authority laid out plans for a week-long virtual celebration of the 50th year of Earth Day including poetry, a film, panel discussions and the launch of Battery Park City’s sustainability plan.
The new plan, part of the neighborhood’s overall strategic plan, will be unveiled on Earth Day, April 22. It will outline the neighborhood’s sustainability strategy for the next decade and their intention to eliminate carbon emissions.
“Even when staying home, it’s important to recognize Earth Day and its half-century dedication to a more sustainable planet,” said B.J. Jones, BPCA President CEO.
On the same day, a special edition of the neighborhood newsletter will include tips on plant care and sustainable living as well as crafts using materials usually thrown away and a coloring book from the Lost Ladybug Project with information about native ladybugs.
At 1 p.m. on April 21, Bob Holman, a slam poet who founded Bowery Poetry Club, will share his work with endangered languages alongside a film, “Khonsay: Poem of Many Tongues,” which features lines from 50 endangered languages, intended to highlight humanity’s connection with endangered species on Earth Day. Poets House will live stream the performance on their Twitter account, and the program will be available afterward on Facebook, YouTube and the Poets House archive.
Throughout the week, there will be facts about Battery Park’s sustainability efforts on their social media, including a breakdown of their composting program April 23 that will include a how-to video and information about how the neighborhood cares for street trees April 24.
Capping off the week, Saturday will feature a 4 p.m. virtual screening of “Microplastic Madness,” a film about Brooklyn 5th-graders that set out to create a more plastic-free future. A discussion panel will follow the screening. The broadcast is free, but space is limited, so those interested can sign up for a spot.
Earth Day began on April 22, 1970, when 20 million Americans joined in a nationwide protest against environmental ignorance, calling for better conservation efforts to protect the planet.
