How some Mississippi teens are saving their town from climate change

In Detroit, a coalition of nonprofits and organizations are coming together to transform buildings into resilience centers. A resilience center is a hub that people can go to for help, especially in moments of a natural emergency. In Detroit, the hubs are part of a response to the effects of climate change, which can leave people displaced. Some of the things people can find in a hub include emergency services, internet access, and workforce development.

Rev. Scott Hardin-Nieri of North Carolina works with the Creation Care Alliance to better connect his Christian faith with climate action. Over the years they have developed a toolkit for congregations on how to get involved in the climate discussion. They also host eco-grief meetings that are very popular. They would like to reach more conservative or evangelical members of their community that are more skeptical of climate change, but they have had some success in reaching a wide audience.

The Swinomish tribe in Washington state is combining traditional knowledge and science to combat the effects of climate change and improve the health of its land, water, and people. In recent years, their salmon harvest has diminished due to warming waters, but they’ve instituted salmon recovery efforts by restoring tidelands and channels and planting trees along stream beds to cool the waters. Their focus on ecosystem and community health could be a model for other Indigenous tribes looking to create their own climate plans.

Working toward environmental justice takes organizing on the community level. In Detroit, the Women of Empowerment promote resilience against the adverse effects of climate change on the city’s east side by spearheading projects that range from legal cases to the installation of solar panels. The group also partners with local nonprofits like the Eastside Community Network and Heatwaves Housing and Health (HHH), to collect data that can inform climate-resilient city planning.

Black mothers at Griffon Manor organized community activism, advocacy campaigns, and coalitions to demand equitable government support and recognition after the Love Canal, New York, environmental disaster—eventually resulting in partial victories such as federal relocation assistance, although persistent structural racism and media neglect severely limited their initial visibility, effectiveness, and lasting recognition.

Collaboration between the Hmong community, researchers, and park authorities in northern Thailand has allowed them to work together to restore the forest in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. Between 1997 and 2013, they used assisted regeneration to restoring 33 hectares of forest, which also increased the area’s natural flora and fauna. Because of their efforts, their approach is being implemented in tropical forests around the world, including Cambodia, Madagascar, and Tanzania.

Queer activists and organizers are centering their identity in the environmental justice movement. They form part of a growing movement that doesn't exclude their queer identity in the fight against climate change. Some examples of this work include "Queer Nature," a community where queer people can reconnect with nature. Another example is the "Queer Ecojustice Project," which addresses how queer perspectives were ignored by the environmental movement. This article presents several other examples of the intersection of queer identity with the environmental movement.

The nonprofit Black to the Land Coalition is working to expose more members of BIPOC communities to outdoor activities and the healthy benefits that come with being nature. They have partnered with other organizations to help alleviate costs and they’ve done activities like archery, camping, and kayaking. “We’re creating opportunities for Black and brown people to engage in natural spaces beyond the playscapes and basketball courts,” says one of the founders. “We’re taking on the outdoor world, period.”

An indigenous-led nonprofit group called Tonibung installed a micro-hydro electrical system for a village deep in Borneo’s rainforests. The project not only supplied much-needed energy for the villagers of Kampung Buayan, but it is also protecting the surrounding ecosystems, creating jobs for people, and encouraging youth to get involved. “We want to advocate for native rights to self-determination and empower indigenous groups to choose the kind of development that meets the aspirations of their people,” says the founder of the organization.

With rising temperatures occurring all over the world, cities are implementing plans to combat heat waves and protect its residents. The city of Ahmedabad in India has been a model for heat resiliency after it created its first heat action plan that centered around “community-focused social measures.” Because of the plan, a 2015 heat wave resulted in fewer than 20 fatalities compared with thousands of deaths in previous years. Other cities like New York City are also participating in heat resiliency efforts aimed at protecting all of its residents.