Exploring the legacy of pollution in Greenpoint

To mark Earth Day, we will broadcast live from WNYC Transmitter Park in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, on April 21 and take a focused look at how our changing environment is playing out locally.

This year, the annual celebration of our planet comes at a particularly dire moment for the environment. A new report from the United Nations released last month warned that the next decade will be critical in the ongoing battle to address rising temperatures. It concludes that, without an immediate and coordinated international effort, the effects of global warming could be catastrophic. The report has once again heightened calls for countries like China and the U.S. to take aggressive action, including phasing out fossil fuels.

Our newsroom is taking “All Things Considered” on the road a day before Earth Day. We chose Greenpoint because it is now one of the borough's most expensive places to live and is growing rapidly despite being home to two of New York City's four federal Superfund sites. Greenpoint's growth raises the question: As a city, how do we balance public health, environmental stewardship, corporate responsibility, and growth and development?

As part of our coverage, we will detail the neighborhood’s industrial past and the steps the city is taking to remediate pollution. We’ll look at the large-scale rezoning effort in Greenpoint and the subsequent explosion in residential development. And we’ll take a boat ride up Newtown Creek to better understand lingering concerns over water quality and its effect on neighboring communities. Over the course of the program, we’ll hear from a range of guests, including local leaders, borough residents, activists and our own reporters.

Want to check out the broadcast? We’ll be at WNYC Transmitter Park on Friday, April 21, starting at 4 p.m. You can also listen live here on Gothamist and on your radio at 93.9 FM.