by diy naturally 02.02 Talk about a grass roots effort! The citizens of Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Los Angeles are on the move to change their cities. The best part is; it’s working!
Chicago
Chicago has some major problems but her citizens aren’t easily discouraged. They’re stepping up in a BIG way to reverse the damage of pollution, combustion, and over population. And they aren’t afraid to use their muscle to beat political corruption to fix their city.
Friends of the River is grass roots organization founded by the residents of Chicago in 1973. Tired of their Chicago River being treated as a legal dumping ground, they organized and recruted hundreds of people to restore 156 miles of river that traveled through 50 towns in the Chicago area. Today, with their hard work and dedication, the Chicago River is showing signs of revitalization with the return of native plants and wildlife.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia is reviving their beautiful city and reclaiming what it once was in the first half of the 20th century. With thousands of vacant lots, empty homes and degrading industrial buildings left behind from economic change; Philly citizens have a lot of hard work ahead of them but they are determined to create a sustainable success.
The Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers were once so polluted that they couldn’t sustain aquatic life. Today, Philadelphia has built 3 award-winning water pollution control plants that remove approximately 92% of all waste-water pollutants before it is returned to these rivers. As a result, 42 species of fish now inhabit these waters.
Seattle
One of our greenest cities, Seattle has set an example for green, sustainable living and it continues to raise the bar. The green roots of Seattle lay in the hands of her dedicated and motivated citizens who have come together to form strong community organizations. They have worked to put green roofs on public buildings to capture rain water, provide natural cooling and other benefits. They have also planted more than 2,000 community gardens throughout the city to provide healthy food for low-income residents.
Los Angeles
L.A. is one of our largest cities and a destination for many Americans with big dreams. With it’s sprawling population and grid-lock traffic, L.A. has brought the terms smog and pollution into our homes. It isn’t usually referred to as a city for sustainable living but everyone from innovative citizens, determined environmental groups, and strong political leaders are determined to improve their great city.
One person with a BIG dream, Andy Lipkin, founded TreePeople. He was only 15 when he first mobilized his fellow summer campers to pull up an old parking lot to plant a meadow. Today with thousands of supporters, TreePeople and Andy Lipkin are changing the L.A. landscape by creatively solving problems by incorporating nature.
“All our cities were built without understanding nature,” Andy said, “this is about working in partnership with nature.”
For more:
Eden Lost and Found
TreePeople
~ Be the change you want to see.
Chicago | Philadelphia | Seattle | Los Angeles | Green Cities | Green Living | Sustainable Living | TreePeople
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