Advancing US Adoption of Innovative Strategies to Intersect Health Equity and Climate Change Action
Tisha Joseph Holmes, MPA, PhD
Garin Bulger, MPP
Will Butler, PhD
Karen Lowrie, PhD
Session 1 - Project
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Overview
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Project Overview
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Project Update
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Discussion
Description of Cases
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Key Takeaways
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Methodology
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Project Background
Project Background
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Methodology
Methodology
(Broader discussion in 2nd session)
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3.1
Global Cases
Indigenous Female Engineers Scaling up Solar Energy in Belize’s Most Rural and Remote Communities
In rural Toledo, several villages lie far from the national electricity grid, and the costs of connecting to the national grid are prohibitive. The project builds on the skills and experience of indigenous women who received training from the Barefoot College in India to build and repair small household solar systems.
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‘’Because of the passion, the passion I feel for the people, in those communities. Because I know they are in need of light.’’ - Miriam Choco, Solar Engineer
…’’she is a role model, not only for women in Belize, but women, throughout the world. I'm aware that in other countries, women who visit, attended barefoot college and, have not been able to implement.’’ - Leonel Requena, National Coordinator of the Global Environment Facility Small Programs in Belize
Source: Mayan solar engineers. Breaking Belize News, 2021, BBN Staff
Kake Tribal Heritage Foundation
Kake is a small, remote community on Kupreanof Island in Southeast Alaska. There are no roads connecting Kake to other communities, and they receive food only through marine shipping via barge lines, expensive cargo flights, wild harvest, or gardening. This leaves them especially vulnerable to potential negative impacts of climate change on food security. The program is designed to build resiliency through climate proofing food access in Kake, Alaska. The funding will go towards a climate risk assessment and launch a pilot project for growing vegetables locally.
‘’I think the strongest, most prevailing narrative about food security, again, has been the importance of traditional foods and maintaining access, maintaining good subsistence or native preference for being able to access wild customary traditional foods for food security. Where I think this grant is part of a newer addition that is looking at ways to bring the community and the tribal members into the conversation of climate resiliency, climate change jargon, climate services…’’ - Elizabeth Figus, Project Consultant
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Source: Kake Tribal Corporation
Quilombola Food Collective
The Vale Do Ribeira (SP) Quilombolas is an indigenous community living on protected land in the south of São Paulo state. They have been practicing regenerative farming that fosters biodiversity and resilience in their communities and ecosystems for generations. The Cooperquivale (cooperative) connected these communities to emergency service providers to distribute fresh produce and value added items to school and government aide groups. Along with sustaining themselves through these farming practices, the Quilombolas work with the government to distribute food to 5 municipalities in Sao Paulo to take pressure off already stressed supply chains.
“They don't get paid to do this (preserve the environment). They don't get any money for that. They just live, you know, they just produce food, they just have their habits. They have economic activity, they serve nine municipalities, and they even sell here to Sao Paulo, we only buy from them.” -Fabricio Muriana, member of the Cooperquivale and Sao Paulo resident
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Source: Vale Do Riberia (SP) forms alliance to maintain generational income in communities and alleviate the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable families. “Against hunger and Covid-19, Quilombolas put food on the table in the favela’’, Portal da Cidade Registro, 2021.
Arua City Climate Refugees
Announced in partnership and with the support of the Robert Bosch Stiftung (RBSG) and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40 Cities) on the sidelines of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the MMC’s Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees: Inclusive Climate Action unlocks direct technical and financial resources to cities addressing the needs of migrant and displaced communities affected by the climate crisis.
…’’also as you engage your vulnerable sets of the community, refugees or migrants who are vulnerable to impacts of climate change, in order for them to earn some money from a climate change-related activity prompts the better adaptation to climate change effects…’’ - Mary Awaru, Senior Environment Officer
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Source: New Vision (Photos by Robert Adiga)
Gandaki Basin, Nepal Climate Resilience Project
The increase of extreme climate-related events such as landslides and floods threaten the livelihoods of people in the Gandaki River Basin region, currently comprising 19.3 percent of the country’s population and more than 40 ethnic groups. The program adopts an ecosystem-centred and community-based approach to address key barriers identified in reducing climate vulnerability.
‘’You have a choice of what you want to do for the initial implementation phase of the project or do you want to do something already has some visible impact on the ground? Yeah. So this project is designed actually based on the learning of those projects. And as long as a climate vulnerable country is the government's priority to implement the ecosystem-based, adaptation approaches for climate adaptation, basically, this is the project we have a little bit of mitigation component..’’ - Amit Poudyal, Project Manager
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Source: Nepal River Portal, 2019
Sweltering Cities, Melbourne, Australia
Sweltering Cities empowers communities experiencing extreme heat by lifting up stories of lived experience and building community organising campaigns around local impacts and public health. This will increase political pressure for climate justice, adaptation and mitigation which will make communities safer, decarbonise our cities and grow and diversify the movement for climate action.
“We can’t underestimate the power of health as a motivator and the issue of health as connected to climate change. There is something visceral about being able to talk about how climate change impacts our bodies.” - Emma Bacon, Founder & Executive Director
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Source: CNN, Gisela Crespo, 2020
Sweltering Cities
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3.2
U.S. Cases
FIG
New York City-based grassroots collective with a focus on food justice, mutual aid, and equitable food distribution, FIG NYC (FIG) works to navigate a delicate balance between staying true to its values—rooted in Indigenous knowledge and mutual aid principles—and the capitalist realities necessary for operating a non-profit within a major cities highly structured socio-economic system. FIG’s mission is centered on food sovereignty, equity, and resilience, values that often conflict with the operational demands of running a food distribution organization in a high-cost, highly competitive environment like New York City.
“We were getting grants from World Central Kitchen and Rethink Food... they don’t have any relationships across race and class, and they don’t have the dedication to that. And FIG is really operated as a bridge increasing the capacity of different food business operators, whether they’re farms, catering companies, or restaurants, who want to engage in equitable food distribution work but wouldn’t have the capacity on their own.”
- Ora Wise, Co- Founder
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Source: FIG NYC website
Fleet Farming
An innovative urban agriculture program developed by IDEAS For Us, Fleet Farming (Fleet) is a nonprofit focused on creating environmental solutions at varying scales across Florida. Based in Orlando, Fleet works to convert residential front lawns into micro-farms, addressing food security, promoting sustainable land use, and contributing to climate adaptation and health equity. Orlando faces substantial urbanization and climate change challenges, such as limited agriculturally zoned land and heavy reliance on food imports. This program has worked to establish a localized food system that reduces environmental impacts and enhances community resilience.
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Source: Fleet Farming Website. https://fleetfarming.org/about-us-2/
Urban Heat Leadership Academy
Communities in urban areas are increasingly facing the challenges of extreme heat brought on by an increasingly changing climate. In Phoenix, Arizona, this problem is particularly severe. The Urban Heat Leadership Academy (UHLA) was created as a response to these growing challenges. A partnership between community-led Phoenix Revitalization Corporation (PRC) and global environmental nonprofit The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the UHLA empowers residents to take the lead in addressing urban heat while simultaneously building relationships, attracting resources, and securing funding for grassroots initiatives.
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Source: The Nature Conservancy Website. https://www.nature.org/en-us/newsroom/uhla-fourth-cohort/
Office of Heat Resilience, Miami-Dade County
The Office of Heat Resiliency, established in 2021 by Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, was born out of the urgent need to address the increasing risks associated with extreme heat. The Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, which had already been supporting global heat adaptation efforts, played a pivotal role in fast-tracking Miami-Dade’s heat initiatives through funding and technical assistance. Under Jane Gilbert's leadership, the office launched Miami’s first *Heat Action Plan*, which was developed through extensive public workshops, community engagement, and research.
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Source: Miami-Dade County. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/36c32f824ada442dac2d344263138bcc
Indigenized Energy
Indigenized Energy, a grassroots Indigenous organization founded by Cody Two Bears of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, exemplifies how community-led organizations can confront climate change while addressing historical injustices. Through the creation of solar farms and energy sovereignty initiatives, Indigenized Energy has pioneered efforts to achieve energy sovereignty across Native communities. This case study explores how Indigenized Energy has built relationships, secured capacity, and gained access to substantial funding—including a $136 million EPA Solar for All grant—while focusing on healing the environment and communities affected by generations of oppression.
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Source: Indigenized Energy website. https://www.4indigenized.energy/
Solar United Neighbors
Solar United Neighbors (SUN) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to helping people go solar, join together, and advocate for clean energy. Founded more than a decade ago, SUN has grown from a grassroots initiative into a multi-state operation with programs in over 11 states and Washington, D.C. Through its innovative approach, the organization empowers individuals and communities to adopt rooftop and community solar, focusing on marginalized and low-income populations. This case study explores how Solar United Neighbors builds relationships, attracts funding, and expands capacity to address climate change, energy equity, and systemic barriers.
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Source: Solar United Neighbors website. https://solarunitedneighbors.org/resources/
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On-site Case Study
La Organizcion de Boricua de Agricultura Ecológica de Puerto Rico
La Organizcion de Boricua de Agricultura Ecologica de Puerto Rico is a national base-building, grassroots organization present across the archipelago that promote and practice agroecology and climate justice as vehicles of transformation, with a key objective of achieving food sovereignty and social justice in Puerto Rico.
In my work, I've found that engaging in practical, tangible activities, like community organizing and farming, even without immediate access to land, can serve as a source of hope and inspiration. These activities demonstrate the power of organized communities to achieve tangible results. - Jesus Vasquez, Coordinator for La Organization
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Souce: La Organizcion de Boricua de Agricultura Ecologica de Puerto Rico
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Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
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Refined Key Takeaways
Primary
Secondary
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Thank you!
Questions?
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Session 2 - Praxis Reflection
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Grounded Theory
A research method that involves collecting and analyzing data prior to creating theories.
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Advisory Groups
Community
Technical
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Interview Methodology
Virtual
Limitation
Building Relationships
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Contacts
Dr. Tisha Joseph Holmes, MPA, PhD
Associate Professor
Florida State University
Department of Urban & Regional Planning
Email: ttholmes@fsu.edu
Garin Bulger, MPP
Senior Research Specialist
Center for Urban Policy Research
Rutgers University
Email: garin.bulger@rutgers.edu
Dr. Karen Lowrie, PhD
Associate Director
Environmental Analysis & Communications Group
Rutgers University
Email: klowrie@rutgers.edu
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Acknowledgements
Jeanne Herb, Executive Director, Environmental Analysis & Communications Group, Rutgers University
Sharon Roerty, Senior Program Officer, RWJF
Paul Tarini, Senior Program Officer, RWJF
Rebecca Morley, CEO & Founder, Rebecca Morley Consulting
Community Advisory Group and Technical Advisory Group members
Marie D’Addario (graduated) Department of Urban & Regional Planning, FSU
Mia Sadler (graduate) Department of Urban & Regional Planning, FSU
David LaFontant (graduated), Development Planner for Victoria, Texas
Abigail Ulman (graduated), Program Manager, Red Duke Strategies
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6. Questions & Feedback