Lawmakers want to revive FDR's Depression-era "tree army" to help boost rural economies

Chicago students organized and, for the first time, convinced the city to rename a park in honor of Frederick and Anna Murray Douglass. The former Douglas Park was named after a Civil War era Illinois senator who advocated to expand slavery, and whose wife owned slaves. Not daunted by the city’s bureaucracy, the students canvassed in their community and gathered over 10,000 signatures for a petition to change the park’s name. The campaign, which began in 2017, was much harder and longer than the students anticipated, but by forming a coalition and continuing to speak out they persevered.

The former Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island is turning into a public park that will accept visitors in 2021. By capping the trash site with plastic, covering it with soil, and planting native grasses, city officials are restoring the area’s former tidal wetlands and scrublands; nearly 314 plant and animal species have already been sighted. While the successful closing of the dump nearly 20 years ago means that the trash is being sent to other neighborhoods in the United States where people dealing with economic hardship live, the project could be a model for sustainability and urban renewal.

Chispa Arizona is working to encourage members of the Latino community to spend time outdoors. The environmental justice organization created “entry points,” or free outdoor activities each month that anyone can attend like hiking, community gardening, and park clean-ups. There has been some hesitation from people attending these events, but one member says these experiences are necessary so they can educate others about the importance of green spaces.

Protesters opposing a proposed income tax hike in Jordan stayed away from polarizing language and avoided proposing structural changes to the political system, a shift away from rhetoric used during the Arab Spring. “This is a Jordanian movement for the core causes that affect all Jordanians: taxes, unemployment, and corruption,” said Mohammed Hussein, a 26-year-old protester. “We do not want a group to hijack this movement for their own agendas.”

From solar to geothermal to biomass projects, First Nations are finding ways to confront and combat fossil fuel concerns head on. In fact, over 30 Nations have some type of renewable energy source powering their communities, while 15 more have projects underway. Despite a lack of governmental funding assistance, First Nations are acting as a collective model for how communities can provide their own clean power to their own people.

Women4Climate is a new alliance of women mayors from major cities who are determined to act against climate change with or without federal support. Instead, they mentor each other in innovative solutions, cross-promote important causes, and share best practices to help stem the negative effects of greenhouse gas emissions, empowering women everywhere to participate.

At the vanguard of initiatives to increase diversity among visitors to the National Parks are groups like Oakland-based H.E.A.T. (Hiking Every Available Trail), which uses social media and group expeditions to increase minority groups' awareness, use, trust and enjoyment of the outdoors. Emerging alongside changes in policy, such as the Park Services' creation of a Diversity and Inclusion Office, H.E.A.T. demonstrates how local organizers in minority and, often, urban regions around the United States are moving the needle on diversity within the National Park system.

As the National Park Service celebrates its 100th Anniversary, employees and rangers are turning their attention towards maximizing diversity and increasing a culture of inclusiveness amongst park visitors and employees. From taking a concrete political stance to recruiting a diverse group of celebrity park ambassadors, the national parks hope to bridge the gaps between what America looks like and the story our parks tell of our history.

Around the globe, countries have taken actions that have helped reduce carbon emissions and increase the use of renewable energy. Although the state of Florida feels the effects of climate change, its state representatives have not produced policy addressing it. Local policy makers and organizers have made the biggest difference in the state.

Tulsa Public Schools drew on expertise across many sectors and extensive neighborhood input to address the issue of thousands of empty seats in local schools. Through a community-focused process, they were able to mindfully close under-utilized schools and better maximize the community's resources for students.