Brooklyn, New York July 24 , 2009 – On Monday Southwest Brooklyn’s Uprose will be joined by Borough President Marty Markowitz and local officials to headline a news conference launching their environmental justice tour. As part of the tours, UPROSE will travel in their new, customized hybrid electric bus through Sunset Park, making additional stops at Bay Ridge and Red Hook, to educate residents on strategies for achieving clean air, water, and equitable access to natural resources.

As one of the most diverse areas in New York, Sunset Park bears a disproportionate impact of the City’s environmental and public health problems—it is the site of a sludge treatment plant, dozens of toxic brownfields, a bus depot and various truck routes, which contribute to rising cases of asthma. Its lack of open space, with ¼ of an acre for every 1,000 residents, has contributed to a growing epidemic of obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. The overall rate of obesity is up to 25%, which is greater than that of all of NYC, and is highly concentrated among the area’s children.

Since 1964, UPROSE has trained generations of youth leaders in environmental justice to address issues such as land redevelopment and use, alternative energy systems, and climate change adaptation, to develop strategies for sustainable growth. Because of their advocacy, $36 million has been awarded towards environmental remediation to Sunset Park’s waterfront park.