"We have the capacity to create a remarkably different economy: one that can restore ecosystems and protect the environment while bringing forth innovation, prosperity, meaningful work and true security. "
-Paul Hawken, environmentalist, author and activist
ECOSYSTEMS NEED OUR HELP
There are many organizations working to stem the tide of the pressure of climate change and its causes. Here are a few of the largest and most active.
350.ORG The number 350 means climate safety: to preserve a livable planet, scientists tell us "we must reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere from its current level of 400 parts per million to below 350 ppm." The group was founded in 2008 by a group of university friends in the U.S. along with author Bill McKibben, who wrote one of the first books on global warming for the general public. Founded with the goal of uniting climate activists into a movement, and with a strategy of bottom-up organizing around the world, activists in 189 countries have organized local climate-focused campaigns, projects and actions. That movement is rising from the bottom up all over the world, and is uniting to create the solutions that will ensure a better future f0r all. In the US, the group has campaigned to divest public institutions and joined in the Keystone XL Pipeline fight.
Bioneersis an innovative nonprofit educational organization that highlights breakthrough solutions for restoring people and planet. They celebrate the genius of nature and human ingenuity, Bioneers connects people with breakthrough solutions and each other. Their annual national conference (October 2015) and local conferences are complemented by extensive media outreach including an award-winning radio series, book series,. Their programs also focus on Women’s Leadership; Indigenous Wisdom; Community Resilience Networks, and Leadership Development and Youth.
Earth Guardians - Youth In Action“Everywhere young people are rising up and taking action to solve the issues that will be left to our generation … Over 400,000 people marched in through the streets of New York City in the world’s greatest climate march. More than220 institutions have divested from fossil fuels with the help of student-led movements and the number continues to grow. Youth are suing their state and federal governments across the United States, demanding action on climate change from our elected officials. We are flooding the streets and now we are flooding the courts to get the world to see there is a movement on the rise and we are at the forefront, fighting for the solutions we need.”~Xiutezcatl Roske-Martinez~ From a speech before the UN on June 29th, 2015 by the 15 year old youth director of a non profit organization Earth Guardians
The Global Restoration Network (GRN), is a project of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), and offers the field of ecological restoration a database and web-based portal to trustworthy and hard-to-find information on all aspects of restoration, from historic ecosystems and causes of degradation to in-depth case studies and proven restoration methods and techniques. The overriding mission of the GRN is to link research, projects, and practitioners in order to foster an innovative exchange of experience, vision, and expertise.The GRN provides guidance for a wide range of Restoration Best Practices.
Greenpeace started in the 1980s focusing on opposition to nuclear testing. Since then, the organization’s priority has shifted from nuclear proliferation to confronting climate change internationally through VERY direct action. Today they are the largest independent direct-action environmental organization in the world. Partnering with Jane Fonda and other organizations to organize Fire Drill Friday, because OUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE!
The Hip Hop Caucus is an organization of young people active in elections, policymaking and service projects focused on social issues that directly impact their lives and communities. Initiated in 2004. there are 657,000 Hip Hop Caucus supporters across all 50 states and D.C. Their supporters, are young and diverse, with 70% under the age of 40 years-old; 60% are women; a majority are African American and Latino, with a large White contingent, as well as Asian American and Native American. The organization had done grassroots organizing with Katrina survivors in New Orleans, and engages in "Make Hip Hop Not War" and "Respect My Vote!" campaigns. Their efforts also include "Clean Energy Now! Bus Tour" and green awareness campaigns to focus on communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate change.
Idle No More"calls on all people to join in a peaceful revolution, to honor Indigenous sovereignty, and to protect the land and water." IdleNoMore was initiated by four women as a series of teach-ins in 2012 to protest impending parliamentary bills that will erode Indigenous sovereignty and environmental protections. It has changed the social and political landscape of Canada and beyond. Idle No More seeks to assert Indigenous inherent rights to sovereignty and re-institute traditional laws and Nation to Nation Treaties by protecting the lands and waters from corporate destruction. They stand in solidarity with Indigenous movements world wide. IdleNoMore continues work that others, such as the Indigenous Environmental Network have pursues over the years
Our Childrens Trust works to secure the legal right to a healthy atmosphere and stable climate for all present and future generations by supporting youth plaintiffs in strategic atmospheric trust litigation. Our Childrens' Trust empowers youth to lead a game-changing effort to "hold the ruling generation accountable and to compel governments in the United States and abroad to adopt and implement enforceable science-based Climate Recovery Plans."
PACIFIC WILD is a non-profit located in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest on Denny Island. We are committed to defending wildlife and their habitat on Canada’s Pacific coast by developing and implementing conservation solutions in collaboration with First Nations communities, scientists, other organizations and individuals. Pacific Wild supports innovative research, public education, community outreach and awareness to achieve the goal of lasting environmental protection in the lands and waters of the Great Bear Rainforest. Their initiatives focus on the ocean, the lands, and the coastal communities that are intricately connected – trees gather nutrients from salmon through complex food webs, coastal wolves depend on seafood, whales feed along the shoreline and First Nations cultures are borne from and still rely on all of these ecosystems
Sunrise Movement is a movement of young people working to stop climate change and make it an urgent priority across America and create millions o good jobs in the process. They are young people who are scared about what the climate crisis means for the people and places they love. They are gathering in classrooms, living rooms, and worship halls across the country believing everyone has a role to play.
SustainUS, US Youth for a sustainable future. The organization was founded by six young Americans in the lead-up to the 2001 United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio+10) in Johannesburg, South Africa. They are working to train, connect, and empower young leaders to engage strategically in policy fights within the following three broad areas:
The end of the fossil fuel era. They seek zero global fossil fuel emissions by 2050, a moratorium on new fossil fuel infrastructure, and a just transition to 100% renewable energy that prioritizes workers.
Development grounded in justice They are coalition partners in hard-hitting national campaigns to stop corporate trade deals, protect human rights, and increase the flows of climate finance to those who need it most.
An inclusive and vibrant democracy. They have helped to establish the formal recognition of young people within the UNFCCC (United Nations Climate Change) and are now working to limit the influence of money in U.S. politics.
THE SIERRA CLUB founded in 1892 by conservationist, naturalist and explorer John Muir, and was mostly made up of scientist. For years, the organization promoted the appreciation and stewardship of the outdoors but steered clear of civil disobedience. However in 2013 a shift occurred when in response to the increasingly dire warnings from climate scientists, the group’s executive director and then-president, were arrested with about 50 others, outside the White House protesting the Keystone XL pipeline. The Sierra Club's successes range from protecting millions of acres of wilderness to helping pass the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act. More recently, they have been working to move us away from the dirty fossil fuels that cause climate disruption and toward a clean energy economy. All of their campaigns and programs can be found here.
Uplift connects, trains, and mobilizes young people for climate justice. They are rooted in grassroots communities, desert landscapes, and precious waters of the Colorado Plateau and greater Southwest.
ActNow is the United Nations’ global call to individual action on climate change. The campaign is a critical part of the UN’s coordinated effort to raise awareness, ambition, and action for climate change and accelerate implementation of the Paris Agreement. Primarily an online and social media campaign, ActNow will educate and encourage individual actions, mainly by adjusting consumption patterns. By changing our habits and routines, and making choices that have less harmful effects on the environment, we have the power to confront the climate challenge.
Youth for Climate ActionLearn how young people, together with the UN system, are playing a key role both in the intergovernmental climate change negotiations and in their communities
WISCONSIN INITIATIVE ON CLIMATE CHANGE engages citizens; private and public decision-makers; and scientists from Wisconsin and the region in a collaborative network to develop scientific understanding of climate impacts; Identify vulnerability to climate change and climatic variability; and enable better planning, investment, and other adaptation activities. WICCI is a network of many groups and individuals who work together through communication and collaboration.