Issue: Environmental/Climate Justice

Solar United Neighbors designed and implemented a low- and moderate-income solar program that empowers D.C. residents to benefit from rooftop and commmunity solar. Lessons learned from the work necessary to build and run an effective program include: Start small, then scale up; Build trust in the community; Leverage key partnerships; Expand customer base through referrals; Work to simplify the process; and Be flexible and creative in the communications process.

This issue of The Forge explores the role of narrative in shifting the balance of power and building a more equitable society. Authors talked to thirteen organizers across the progressive movement about how the current moment has created an opening to challenge the dominant neoliberal narrative and introduce transformative ways of seeing the world. Two of these interviews are with climate movement leaders: Miya Yoshitani, Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, talked about her work with low-income Asian immigrants and the possibility of replacing the extractive economy with a regenerative one, and Annie Leonard, Executive Director of Greenpeace USA and founder of the Story of Stuff, discussed the ways capitalism and an ideology of exploitation lead to climate change — and how environmentalists are changing their strategies to build power.
 
 

A multi-racial coalition focused on organizing and escalating tactics helped defeat the Williams Pipeline: The Stop the Williams Pipeline coalition won by building, organizing, and activating a large and intense base of opposition targeted at the key decision-maker, Governor Andrew Cuomo. 

This case study summarizes some of the key points from NY Renews’ evidence-based approach to winning the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act, pulling from interviews with organizers and advocates, coalition documents, and news coverage.