Photo: Vlad | Pixabay
Breathe Free Detroit, formed by East Side residents, campaigned for the successful closing of a local incinerator plant that caused neighborhood asthma rates to be 46% higher than the state average. The organization wanted to take it further, advocating for community health with newer composting-recycling strategies. To do this, the organizers turned to an organization thousands of miles away -- the Mother Earth Foundation in the Philippines -- known for training communities, government agencies, and organizations in zero-waste practices for over 20 years. The two organizations engaged in monthly calls, with the Mother Earth Foundation sharing their experience from setting up composting systems. The partnership is not the only one of its kind. Officials in Jackson, Mississippi partnered with Barcelona, Spain; organizations in Lawrence, Massachusetts partnered with organizations in Fortaleza, Brazil. "Climate change is so overwhelming often, and it requires so many innovative ideas and, really, transformation at the root," says Nia Mitchell, manager of U.S. health and equity climate for C40 Cities.
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